


Traces of your Tears

by Skarlashka



Category: Toaru Kagaku no Railgun | A Certain Scientific Railgun, Toaru Majutsu no Index | A Certain Magical Index
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-05-03
Packaged: 2018-06-06 03:45:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 44,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6736870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skarlashka/pseuds/Skarlashka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Academy City's darkness drives its Level 5 student, Misaka Mikoto to the point of no return, a strange phenomenon teleports her to a dangerous and obscure world along with her greatest nemesis. Their esper powers greatly limited by some unknown force, they must learn to work together if they want to survive. But can this even be done? Or will they end up destroying each other?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first ever Raildex project I started back in 2012.  
> Thank you to Cun and GreatSnapper for their beta and support of this work!

21st August

The black night sky hid numerous stars as grey clouds drifted past in irregular patches. Far below, the splendid exterior of Academy City glittered, lit up by the bright lamps that lined neatly along its streets. Although it was very much past student curfew, some people still loitered about. Couples were gazing up at the night sky in each other's embrace, groups of friends laughing and hanging out together without much regard for rules. Still, the quiet night appeared peaceful and altogether uneventful.

Within the seventh school district stood a certain iron railway bridge, its 150m length spanning over a river. A railway ran across its banks, designed for vehicles carrying their usual cargo loads. No trains passed by at this hour however, and not a single soul could be seen in the area.

Except for a certain teenaged girl.

In the middle of the darkness stood a lone figure, leaning against the side railing of the bridge and looking out over the river. The scenery from this position was rather beautiful, the multi-coloured lights of the city reflecting poetically on the surface of the water. But the girl's empty eyes were unseeing of this wondrous view; her mind and heart were filled with a terrible gloom that no amount of light could extinguish.

"Why… Why did it become like this?" The question was uttered softly to the empty air, but it demanded desperate answers.

The voice of a certain dedicated teacher from a memory long ago reverberated in her mind. _"You're the same as me… that you carry a fate that will undoubtedly bring you great despair…"_

Her eyes shut closed at remembering Kiyama Harumi's words, and she cringed over the iron barrier as a fresh wave of pain hit the very core of her heart. Behind the tightly squeezed eyelids flashed disturbing images that had been burned brutally into her mind over the last month, scarring her forever.

So much had changed during that short period of time. Misaka Mikoto had once believed in the idealistic world, believed that Academy City was the perfect home for people like her, believed that there was good to be found in everyone. Now she realised how naïve, stupid, and even arrogant those beliefs had been, to think that evil could not touch her.

Muscular dystrophy. That was the lie they had fed her and she so willingly had taken to heart.

Mikoto had not personally known anyone with such a condition; she had only just met the children at the research centre she visited on that fateful day years ago. And yet, she had thought how wonderful it would be if the sick children could be healed, to walk and run as she could. The youthful mind had never doubted the scientist's promise that was so full of hope – that the children could be cured if Mikoto gave them her DNA.

A sob escaped from her lips as her head drooped, forehead almost touching her bare arms heavily leaning against the cold metal. Her fists were clenched tightly, and silent, unshed tears lingered between the shut eyelids. Violent images and sounds relentlessly continued to assault her mind. A Sister's torso brutally ripped apart; a broken limb - so familiar - being shattered to small pieces of flesh and bone; screams in which she recognised her own voice, riddled with so much unimaginable suffering; crimson blood erupting in fountains, staining the grey concrete with its rich colour; stale air reeking of death…

"…me…. Hel…p…. Help… me…."

In this world, no one was stupid enough to help a complete stranger. It wasn't because everyone was cold-hearted, no… that wasn't it. It was self-preservation, a natural instinct that judged self-safety more important than the safety of others. There was no logical reason for one to dive into the mess of another's life and become seriously injured because of it. If someone did, if someone willingly sacrificed themselves to save a complete stranger, the person was simply an idiot.

A certain spikey-haired boy swam into mind, but she dismissed the thought quickly. No one could help her now. This was her problem, a terrible one that she had caused because of her own stupid mistakes and foolishness. What was done could not be reversed, but she had to find the solution and act it out herself to find justice. It was a burden she alone had to carry, and it was for that reason Mikoto refused to call out to anyone for assistance.

Until now.

In the face of the most horrifying darkness Mikoto never knew existed, in the face of her terrible punishment that was to come, her mouth opened of its own accord and whispered the two words her prideful nature had never allowed.

"…Help… me…"

No one was there to listen. It didn't matter anyway. Even if she screamed it out loud, nothing would change and nobody would care…

"Meow"

Her eyes snapped open, suddenly alert. She quickly looked around, searching for the source of the sound.

A small black cat stood a little distance away, watching her carefully with a pair of curious yellow eyes. Mikoto stared back blankly, and wondered where the creature had come from. She noted how the animal was afraid to come closer, keeping what it probably considered a safe distance away. This was just another of life's cruel ironies, that the animals Mikoto loved so much never dared to come near the electromaster. Her body's natural emission of electromagnetic waves made many sensitive animals such as cats uncomfortable and scared. Her powers, she suddenly realised now, had often been the main source of her problems.

Still the two stared at each other, the cat and the esper, as if daring the other to approach closer. Mikoto almost imagined that the cat knew. It wasn't just because of her power; it was the cat's knowledge of what she had done that made the creature afraid. It somehow knew of her unforgiveable sins…

Sounds of running footsteps broke Mikoto out of her dark reverie. She tore her gaze away from the animal's and looked up to where a figure was approaching from the darkness. Her brown eyes widened as she recognised the person. It was the idiot - Kamijou Touma - who believed himself to be a hero. She stood still, this time transfixed on the certain spikey-haired boy. He stopped before her, a distance away, heaving in great lungfuls of air.

"What are you doing?" Touma asked roughly, trying to steady his breath. He looked as if he had run quite a long distance. His black eyes were fixed determinedly on Mikoto. They glinted with purpose and… something else she could not quite name.

For a moment, Mikoto stared back dumbly, unable to form a coherent thought. Then, like an automatic defence system, her carefree mask of the prideful Level 5 slipped on naturally. A slight smirk complete with a touch of arrogance curved her lips, and a dangerous glow glinted in her defiant eyes.

"Heh~ What, all of a sudden?" Her voice was relaxed, all traces of the previous pain expertly hidden away. She flicked a strand of hair back, the perfect picture of a snobby princess.

"What I do in my spare time is _my_ business right? It's not really your place to be telling me off because I'm having fun out late at night-"

"Stop it." The spikey-haired guy's voice interrupted her, but Mikoto resumed carelessly.

"Stop what? I'm Misaka Mikoto the Railgun, one of the seven Level 5's, ranked third in Academy City. Telling me I can't stay outside late…"

Her narrowed eyes flitted across to him slyly, but what she saw next completely crumbled her entire mask.

Touma had wordlessly taken out a stack of papers, holding it out in clear view for her to see. Even under the low light of the street lamps, Mikoto could clearly make out the familiar print. They were papers that were currently supposed to be under her bed, safely within the clothes of her giant stuffed toy Killbear. They were documents that she had so carefully hidden away from other eyes. The scientific reports that spoke of the inhumane Radio Noise project with such chilling and detached analytical words…

_'Wha..?'_

Time was frozen. Mikoto's widened eyes were glued to the papers in disbelief, her prideful mask long-forgotten and cast away. Her mind whirled, unable to form a single understandable thought and rendering her speechless.

"I know about the younger Misaka… about the Sisters, about the plan… about Accelerator." Touma broke the silence in a decisive voice. "So let's save us both some time."

The shocked silence continued for a long moment as if it hadn't been interrupted. Something clicked in Mikoto's chaotic mind, and she immediately rearranged her face back to that perfect veil of uncaring indifference. She let out a dramatic sigh accompanied by a smile, as if she was dealing with some mild nuisance that she really didn't want to be bothered with.

"Just what are you? You met my clone yesterday and you've already looked that far into it?" Her heart was thumping erratically, but her expression was one of cool detachment, completely hiding the bewilderment that was still swirling within.

 _'So he found out…'_ Pieces of a puzzle were being scrambled in her thoughts, begging to be put together.

"But for you to have those documents means you went into my room, right?" Her tone was mingled with amused laughter, and a smile quirked on her lips. She saw Touma visibly gulp in the shadows and knew that her act was doing the job perfectly.

 _'To someone as meddlesome as him, this plan would be unforgivable…'_ A piece of the puzzle was set up, anticipating its next match. _'From his point of view I must have looked like an accomplice by giving them my DNA map. So he came here to blame me…'_

"Tch, you even looked inside my stuffed toy! That's a death penalty right there! A death penalty!" Mikoto wagged a finger at him, and grinned as if she truly enjoyed the scolding.

 _'No matter how you look at this situation, the end result is the same. Being condemned by someone will make it easier…'_ The picture was almost complete and comprehensible; only one final piece of the puzzle remained.

"So…" Her tone was light and playful.

 _'Can I get you to fill that role then?_ '

"Do you think I am unforgivable?"

Mikoto stood still, the wry grin dancing on her features as she regarded him in a mocking way. Her heart was set on what she knew would be the inevitable outcome, her destined fate.

The guy stared with angered eyes that drilled into her very soul. She barely managed to keep herself from shivering at the intensity of it.

"How could you?!"

Even though she had resigned herself to condemnation, her heart still sunk into an even darker abyss to hear such furious and accusatory words from the Touma's mouth. Mikoto had played her part well, too well… It was almost regretful, but there was no turning back now. She could not allow herself to break down after so long; she had to play the villain one last time.

Her heart felt like it was shattering into tiny pieces, but still, she silently thanked Touma and purposefully allowed the grin to grow bigger. Mikoto sneered, pretending she had no clue what he was talking about.

"How could I what?"

Touma took a step forward, a shaking fist clenched tightly. Glancing into his fierce eyes, she suddenly realised that she had never seen him so furious before.

"You know what I'm talking about, dammit! This… experiment… It kills people! How could you just go along with that?! How could you live with it?!"

_'I can't… That's why I have to do this…'_

A delicate laugh rang out in the space between them without missing a beat.

"I thought you read the report already?" Mikoto questioned mockingly. "What part of the word 'clones' can you not comprehend, idiot?"

Touma's anger deepened, his eyes narrowing to slits. She could sense his emotions beginning to boil, and she mildly wondered if he would actually kill her himself.

"Do you seriously think that?!" He shouted. His loud voice almost made her flinch, but Mikoto kept her cool expression under tight control. "They feel pain, they feel fear, they breathe and think just as we do, don't they?! Just because they were-"

"Created in tanks full of chemicals. By scientists." Mikoto interrupted in a bored voice. "I don't really think of them as humans." Before Touma could furiously protest, she continued on ruthlessly. "They're made from my DNA, donated by me. I do believe I'm more knowledgeable about this situation than you are, so stop meddling like an annoying moron."

His angered expression froze up at some point during her speech, eyes wide with disbelief.

"What?" Mikoto asked when Touma did not speak. She sneered at him with one eye lazily closed.

"Y-you… You actually gave them your DNA willingly?"

_'I don't even have to lie about this one.'_

"Yes, I did," Mikoto said coolly. "I don't see how it's any of _your_ concern."

His mouth drooped into a grim frown.

"You know… I always thought you were a decent person." Touma's voice was horribly strained. "You always smiled so cheerfully, you were always so energetic… but that was all an act wasn't it? Often I could see your crude and prideful nature, but I never thought you… a murderer."

An icy dagger pierced what remained of her shattered heart. Murderer. It was one thing to call yourself that, but another experience altogether to hear somebody else condemn you as such. She quickly turned her face towards the darkness, and pretended her attention was elsewhere. Her mask was crumbling fast and she could not allow him to see it.

A deep silence ensued, expanding like a vast ocean between them, a distance that could never be crossed.

"Ah~" Mikoto whipped her head back to face him once she recovered. Her expression was completely composed once more, exposing the confident mask out in full light of the lamps for Touma to see.

"You're as meddlesome as ever. Seriously…" She heaved a big sigh, as if giving up against a spoilt, stubborn child. "You think this is some opportunity to become the hero you so desperately want to be?"

His jaws clenched so tightly the crunching sound of teeth was audible.

"You think this is me trying to be a hero?! That's just…"

He trailed off as his fingers curled to fists, unable to find words to express his turmoil of emotions.

Rogue strands of hair fell onto her eyes, but Mikoto did not move to brush them away. She simply stared at him in utter silence, her face devoid of any emotion. She could not trust herself to show anything at this point. One tiny crack of the perfect mask and she knew her resolve could disintegrate into a million pieces.

_'I can't let that happen now.'_

"Fine," she said after a long moment. "Do what you want. I trust you to look after my Sisters…"

_'After I'm gone.'_

Mikoto breathed in deeply, wishing she could have said the final few words out aloud. Perhaps, after her inevitable fate plays out, Touma would realise her hint and even find room in his heart to forgive her, even a just little bit. It would be more than she deserved though.

When he said nothing, Mikoto turned and casually began to walk away. The night was becoming colder with every passing minute, but she hardly felt the chill. Sweat ran down her back in small rivulets. It had taken all of her will and concentration not to spill everything to Touma. She had somehow managed up until now, but any more and she thought she would break. Physically, mentally and emotionally, she was on the brink of exhaustion.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Touma yelled at her back. Mikoto stopped walking, but did not turn.

"I told you it's none of your business." Her voice was flat and cold. She didn't even need to act anymore. Bubbles of frustration were beginning to grow inside, twisting and churning with the wish that he would just let her be.

_'It will be over if you just let me go…!'_

But of course, he couldn't know that.

If Touma found out what she was really planning, Mikoto honestly didn't know what he would do. Even after all this time, she did not know him that well. He wasn't someone she could confidently call a friend, and she didn't think he would either. Perhaps he would tell her she deserved it. Perhaps he would be sad and angry at her fate. Perhaps he would fight. Whatever his reaction would turn out to be though, she didn't really want to find out.

_'It's easier this way…'_

"Are you seriously going to do nothing about this?!" His voice was also cold, icier than she had ever heard it. She repressed a shiver, but did not reply. The darkness was expanding out beyond, and she focused on its nothingness, its overwhelming magnitude.

Mikoto heard him take a step towards her.

"How can you not care?! Are you really that heartless?!"

Her heart throbbed painfully in response but she still made no sound. She stood frozen like a statue, shallow breaths coming out in quick but silent gasps. Further ahead, there were bright sparkles of light from the city, shining like distant stars. As Mikoto stared at them, these artificial starlights began to grow and blur into multi-coloured circles. She blinked frantically.

Another step was taken, approaching closer. Her body tensed by instinct.

"If you're not going to do anything, then I will put an end to this crazy experiment myself!"

A slight twist of her neck brought his impassioned expression into the corner of Mikoto's vision. Her careful mask revealed nothing as she stared at him impassively, lips tightened into a thin line.

"There's another experiment tonight," Mikoto said softly. Her voice was strangely strained, but she continued on with little pause. "You can't stop the experiments. No one can." Her voice trembled slightly despite herself. "There is just no way to do so…"

_'That's why I have to do this.'_

Such thoughts strengthened her resolve. This was the path she had to take and it was unavoidable. Mikoto toughened her vocal cords, and forced them to produce more confident tones.

"So I suggest you stop with the delusions already. Just forget all this and go back to where you were before. I'd rather you didn't get involved. You could get seriously hurt."

"Tch… I don't care about that. If you also get in my way, I won't hesitate to stop you either!"

This guy was different from other people. From the moment Mikoto had first set eyes on him on that fateful night many months ago, she had known. He wasn't afraid of diving head-first into the chaos of other people's problems. Some would call him nosy; others would describe such a trait as pure stupidity. She enjoyed calling him an idiot, but secretly, she admired him for it. To have that much desire to help others and then actually fulfil this wish through deeds was no easy feat. It took courage to care for others, to put their needs before yours. In her eyes, Touma had nothing to prove; he was already a hero.

She wanted to scream out the truth to him, to cry and hold him tightly, to beg for help, but the electromaster could not allow herself to do any of these things. This time, it wasn't her usual sinful pride that was holding her back. After all, she wasn't the victim in this situation. She was the villain and no one could save her; it was because she didn't deserve to be saved.

"Whatever you say," Mikoto declared flatly. "Do what you want. By the time you try to do anything anyway… it'll be over."

Mikoto turned her head back, her vision becoming blurry again. Inwardly cursing her weaknesses, she blinked hurriedly and began to walk away again, wanting to escape from this place… from him.

She sensed him move behind her, and abruptly whipped around to face him, for what she hoped to be the last time. She quickly spoke before he could.

" _Don't_ look for me again. You won't be able to find me anyway… Goodbye, you idiot."

Her voice shook terribly, disturbingly out of sync with her trembling body and palpitating heart. With horror Mikoto felt something wet run down her right cheek and quickly turned away. As her chest constricted tightly, the urge to flee as quickly as possible overwhelmed all other thoughts. With a barely contained sob shaking her shoulders, she broke into a fast run, athletic legs swiftly carrying her away into that expanding darkness in the distance.

On the bridge, the lone spikey-haired teenager stood frozen, staring after her form that was rapidly fading into the shrouding, dark shadows.

XXXXXXX

In the wake of the sun's deep slumber, the back alleys of Academy City had become conquered by darkness alone. Without a single glimmer of light in existence, such a place allowed no room for shadows. The tall buildings that created these corridors under the night sky blocked out any stray illumination from the distance, looming forebodingly as their shadows merged into pure ebony. Metal piping ran along the building walls like twisted snakes, melded and configured into distorted arrangements. The ground was littered with junk and debris - cigarette butts, empty bottles, discarded packaging, plastic wrappers - strewn in filthy dirt and grime. These alleyways formed a wild maze within Academy City, a sanctuary for the delinquents, the dangerous, and the different.

Mikoto sat curled up in one of these narrow passages, shivering against the enveloping icy gloom. Her arms were tightly wound around her knees as if to prevent her physical self from literally breaking apart. She stared up into the blurred night sky as tears ran freely from her eyes. The harsh words that had left the lips of a certain spikey-haired boy kept repeating in her mind, striking her soul like blows from a steel hammer. She tortured herself by reinforcing each one, believing that she deserved them all. A swirling whirlpool of despair was ruthlessly sucking her into its bottomless depths, and she was merely hanging onto the one last single thread of hope she had left.

But in the end, even that would not be able to save her.

Mikoto had never truly considered death before all this nightmare began. She had never felt the need to dwell on such a gloomy and irrelevant fate. It had seemed a vague concept that had absolutely no connection to her, at least for a long, long time yet. But now, she found herself staring into the horrifying face of death, who was ready to claim her and drag her into the unknown.

Silent sobs wracked her body as the frightening question suddenly hit her fresh.

Death. What did it even mean?

She would no longer exist in this world. She would never again see any of her loved ones. Her mother Misuzu, her father Tabikake, her closest friends - Kuroko, Saten-san, Uiharu-san… They would become lost to her and she to them. Would they be able to cope with her disappearance? Of course, Academy City would come up with some cover story to save their own faces and reputation. Mikoto's death would be explained as a simple accident, nothing more. Only a few people, only those scumbags who had been directly involved in this nightmare, would ever know the truth.

The Level 5 leaned her head back against the wall, eyes closing as she steadied her breath. Why was she still crying? Hadn't she accepted her fate already? She cursed the idiot for ruining her resolve. It was his fault, for suddenly turning up like that and shattering the wall she had steadily built over time. He had reminded her of her family and friends, of what she had and what she would lose. So many small things, words and deeds now seemed of utmost significance in the face of the finale. They say you don't truly realise what you have until you lose it all. Walking into the absolute finality, Mikoto could understand this as a truth. And now, she only had a few minutes to reconstruct her determination and separate her heart from her mind again...

_'No more…. I can't be like this…'_

A final tear escaped, leaving a wet trail which she immediately wiped away with a hand. A long minute crawled by as her erratic breathing slowed into a gentle rhythm. When Mikoto opened her eyes once more, there was a new fire burning deep within.

She had an important job to do, and she couldn't let such shattering emotions or negative thoughts get in her way.

The electromaster stood up, her back sliding against the wall. She could still feel the cold darkness caressing her tense and trembling form, as if it knew she was almost completely in its possession...

With a deep breath, Mikoto squared her shoulders and walked out into the streets. The ebony blanket quickly shrunk into simple shadows under the bright street lamps. She glanced at the large clock hanging on a building wall, outlined by colourful neon lights. 9:35 pm it read, and she stared at the numbers blankly as ice filled her chest.

The experiment would have already started. She was late.

Cursing under her breath, Mikoto broke into a run. The frosty air whipped across her face and danced in her hair. Self-disgust at having wasted precious time with self-pity drove her onwards faster, jaws tightly clenched and a fire raging wildly in her brown eyes. She had been sitting there feeling sorry for herself, while her Sister could be already… Her fingernails dug into her palms painfully, but her mind hardly registered it.

The pain in her heart was too great for her to feel anything else.

A couple of people walking by stared at the school girl running so desperately with questioning eyes, but Mikoto truly could not care less about what she looked like at this moment.

Only one thing was important now.

And that was saving the Sisters.

 _Her_ Sisters.

XXXXXXX

"So, you're the next doll for the experiment, huh?"

At the Switchyard of School District 17, a skinny albino figure sat upon a large cargo metal box. His posture was completely relaxed, and a twisted smirk lingered lazily upon his pale lips.

"Yes, this Misaka is serial number 10032, Misaka identifies herself."

A brown-haired girl in Tokiwadai uniform stood before him near the railway tracks. Her blank eyes gazed upwards calmly. Her third-person speech was intoned in a detached manner, the monotonous voice lacking any inflections.

"Before we begin, wouldn't it be wise for you to verify the password to make sure that this Misaka is actually part of the experiment? Misaka responsibly advises."

"Tch." For a moment, a mild look of annoyance crossed the albino's features. But it was quickly replaced by an amused grin, and his red eyes glinted strangely under the silver moonlight.

"Honestly, I hate to question you when you're so diligently performing your role in an experiment to increase _my_ strength. But you strike me as unnaturally relaxed, given your situation." The mocking grin grew wider. "Are you sure your mind isn't occupied with something else?"

The girl stared impassively at the taunting figure leering down at her.

"The phrase 'something else' is too vague for this Misaka to fully comprehend, Misaka replies with some confusion."

Her voice was quiet, but the silence of the night amplified it.

"Three minutes and twenty seconds remain until the experiment is scheduled to begin. Are you ready, Misaka enquires seeking confirmation."

The albino sitting atop the crate let out a bark of laughter.

"I don't think I will ever understand how you could be so willing to throw your life away."

He tilted his head and gazed down at the girl before him as if observing a fascinating insect under a microscope.

"My life to me is more important than anything else in the world. Which is why my desire for greater power will never disappear or diminish. So it doesn't matter if I've killed 100 or 10,000 of you dolls in this experiment as long as I'm getting stronger!"

The grin on his face twisted upwards, exposing his sharp canines. "Your petty deaths mean nothing to me!"

"You say you cannot understand Misaka, but Misaka also finds your behaviour confusing, Misaka replies honestly," The girl spoke up. "You are Accelerator, already the strongest Level 5 in Academy City. You are in a position where nobody else can touch you. So there is no need for you to become more powerful, Misaka states reasonably."

"The strongest, huh?" Accelerator repeated almost wistfully. "Yeah, that's true… But how have people arrived at that evaluation of me? They named me the strongest Level 5 because they actually fought me and got beaten. That's the basis for my classification right there!"

His voice suddenly turned harsh, and his eyes narrowed sharply. "I'm at the top of the heap because a bunch of dimwits thought to themselves, 'Hey, I think it'll be fun to fight with that guy and see what he can really do!'"

His lips pinched together as if tasting something sour. "Well, that's not good enough. It's not even close. I've got bigger plans for myself. That level of power is insignificant!"

Accelerator's voice rose in pitch, making him sound quite deranged. "The power I'm after goes way beyond that. I don't want people thinking that fighting me would be an interesting challenge; I want the very _idea_ of going up against me to be _unthinkable_ , something that nobody would dare!"

The girl stood unshaken. She stared up at the white figure as if unimpressed by his declarations.

"One minute thirty seconds until the experiment commences. Are you certain that you are ready to begin, Misaka asks, again seeking confirmation."

Accelerator let out a sigh.

"I thought we could kill a little time before we got to the main event, but this is just hopeless. There's no point in trying to hold a normal conversation with you."

With the agility of a cat, he leapt off the tall crate and landed on his feet solidly without a sound. A predatory grin split across his face as he lifted his head to reveal two pinprick pupils staring at the girl before him.

"Okay then, are _you_ ready? It's almost time for you to kick the bucket, you substandard factory reject."

The girl put on the green goggles. Its screen lit up with an eerie glow of light.

"The time is 9:29:45. We will now commence trial number 10032."

Accelerator smirked, lunging forwards into a deadly blur of white.

XXXXXXX

On the iron bridge stood a spikey-haired boy, staring into the unfathomable darkness that had swallowed a certain electromaster only moments ago. His body was frozen, wide eyes glued to the never-ending gloom in the distance. Images of the Tokiwadai girl flashed through his mind - the cheerful smiles and laughter, always bursting with energy; her arrogant and prideful smirks; the fiery, hot-headed willfulness that never ceased to give up; that swift, athletic turn of her body to deliver a powerful roundhouse to a certain vending machine…

She was the very last person Touma would have expected to possess such a dark secret.

Various emotions had flickered in his heart when he had faced her earlier. Anger, betrayal, frustration… Now though, confusion was at the forefront of them all.

Touma was quite certain he had seen the sparkle of a teardrop fall as Mikoto had turned away. In the months he had known her, he had always perceived her as unbreakable, tough, stubborn and headstrong. He had gotten into all sorts of trouble because of her eagerness for a fight, and he wasn't even sure if she considered him a friend.

Prideful.

Strong.

And yet…

A single teardrop had fallen as she turned away.

So what was the truth?

A hand rose to clutch a fistful of spikey black hair, and his jaws clenched. He closed his eyes, trying to think against the headache that was beginning to throb and gnaw at his mind.

Just what was the truth?


	2. Chapter 2

21st August, 9:34 pm

Sounds of crackling electricity pierced through the silent night, echoing between the maze-like corridors formed by giant cargo crates. Blue sparks arced and danced along the metal, sizzling with furious brilliance and drowning out the illumination of the moon. At the Switchyard of District 17, a battle was unfolding between a certain brown-haired girl with a number for a name, and the strongest of Academy City known as Accelerator.

"Hey, hey, what do you think you're doing?" the albino called out in amusement. He stood on top of a crate, peering down upon the fleeing girl as if he were a cat observing a fascinating mouse. It was only a matter of time before boredom would awaken in the predator and incite him to finish this chasing game. For now though, he looked as if he was thoroughly enjoying himself, a toothy grin spread openly across his pale features.

The girl stopped in her tracks. A slight twist of her neck upwards brought Accelerator into her line of sight.

"Misaka is carrying out her function as required for Experiment 10032, Misaka answers you with the obvious."

"Hmm?" The albino leaned forward, the twisted amusement still glinting in his moonlit crimson eyes. "Are you sure you're still even functional?"

"Misaka is very much functional, Misaka answers the positive while inwardly wondering the reasons behind your question. Misaka had various routine check-ups before the commencement of this experiment, Misaka assures you. These included heart rate, brain wave electroencephalography, blood pressure, fitness-"

"Spare me the boring details!" Accelerator interrupted the girl's monotonous and lengthy reply with a dismissive wave of a hand. "I don't fucking give a damn shit."

"If you do not care then Misaka requests immediate continuation of the experiment at hand, Misaka pleads politely."

Without waiting for his reply, the girl with the green goggles sent a blast of crackling electricity towards the Level 5. Accelerator did not even move a finger nor flinch; as soon as the burst of blue power neared him, it exploded outwards harmlessly, leaving him completely unscathed.

His smirk grew wider as Misaka 10032 spun around on her heels and began to run away again.

Aided by his Esper powers, Accelerator leaped onto another crate, following his prey's movements at the most leisurely pace he could allow while still keeping an eye on her. As the clone rounded a corner down below, an outstretched hand delivered another burst of electricity towards the albino. Once again, the attempt became directed away harmlessly by the intended target.

Hints of annoyance began to pull down at the corners of the strongest's lips.

"You're not doing a very good job of convincing me you're not broken," Accelerator's tone was not dissimilar to that of a customer complaining about a faulty item. "For the last five minutes, you've just been throwing your pathetic electricity at me and running around these crates like a headless chicken."

He clucked his tongue.

"Pointless."

The albino rubbed the insides of his right ear with a slender index finger, staring down at the clone with a growing expression of boredom. He leapt off the crate and the girl stopped her sprint, spinning around to face him calmly as he approached the clone with slow, predatory steps.

"The other copies of you weren't _this_ boring. At least, they still came up with some interesting methods, even though none of them were effective of course. Aren't you supposed to give me a challenge so I can reach Level 6?"

The albino leered, staring at his prey with eyes that could only be described as those of a maniac's. Each footstep fell closer to the girl, but she did not move away nor make a sound.

"Maybe I'll just tear you apart bit by bit and have the scientists re-examine your innards for any defections."

A twisted grin formed and grew across his pale face as the Level 5 spoke.

"I can't afford to have you dolls already malfunctioning before I even start these experiments, can I? Who knows? Maybe if you're lucky, they'll be able to save a few parts that are still working properly and recycle them. How does that sound, you broken piece of junk?"

Throughout those disturbing words, the girl remained stoic, revealing nothing of her inner thoughts.

"Heh, can you even understand what I'm saying?" Only the distance of a meter separated the two figures, and Accelerator stopped his advances with the deformed grin still intact.

A long moment of silence ensued before the girl opened her mouth.

"Tonight the wind is at zero miles per hour."

"Huh?" Momentarily confused by the random statement, Accelerator's expression blanked. Then a sly smile flittered across his lips.

"You really are broken aren't you? You can't even-"

The albino abruptly stopped. His sharp nose angled up into the air, a small frown pulled his white eyebrows together as one of his five senses suddenly sent a warning alarm through his system.

"Wait. What's that smell?"

A long silence lingered; his crimson eyes widened as suspicion abruptly transformed into realisation.

"So that's it," The skinny albino covered his nose with a hand. "You're breaking down the oxygen with electricity to form ozone. If you take away the air, I'll pass out. Is that the idea?"

The girl offered no reply, but the silence was answer enough.

The crooked grin returned. "That's very good~! You clever little thing!"

As he let out a bark of delighted laughter, 10032 broke into a run once more, trying to regain some distance between them. A light stomp on the ground with a foot elevated Accelerator high up into the air, and the Level 5 landed atop a crate overlooking the area. He stood there, simply watching the girl's flight with amused eyes.

"I like this turn of events. I guess after 10,000 of you are killed off, you're bound to start getting a little bit crafty, huh?"

Misaka 10032 kept her legs pumping forward, looking back over her shoulder as Accelerator called out to her.

"There's something you forgot to keep in mind though."

The pinprick pupils dilated as they focused on his fleeing prey. His pale lips thinned out, almost splitting his face in half with a diabolic grin that spread from ear to ear.

"Once I catch you, this cute little plan of yours is going to fail spectacularly!"

The esper's body suddenly became a blur of white and black. Within the time it took for the fleeing girl to blink her eyes, he had crossed the space between them and was flying beside her, his skinny figure parallel to the ground. 10032's eyes widened in surprise. Gritting her teeth, she energised her strides, trying to pick up more speed.

Her efforts were in vain; the white blur continued to keep up with her, no matter how fast she ran.

"Why are you so surprised?" Accelerator's voice was thick with humour, grinning at his target right beside him. "All I did was change the kinetic momentum underneath my feet."

Before she could understand what had happened, the girl found herself suddenly airborne, a sharp pain at her side. She landed hard on the concrete ground and tumbled a few times before coming to rest, facedown. A shadow loomed over her, and she immediately struggled to get up. Before she could however, a sharp blow hit her stomach and her arms gave way as she yelped in pain. Her body hit the ground hard and she cringed into herself.

The girl's assailant stood over her fallen form, lips parted in a toothy smile of pleasure at his victim's predicament.

"Do you know how you can hit your opponent without doing any harm to your own hands and feet?"

He chuckled as the clone let out a moan of pain in reply.

"It's easy."

A violent blow was delivered to the victim's gut. Her pupils dilated in agony and she let out a high-pitched cry as the kick belatedly sent waves of fire along her torso. To the girl, the pain seemed worse than before, if that was even possible.

Even so, she struggled to get up again, her arms straining to bear her weight.

"You just have to change the direction of kinetic momentum."

Another kick. This time the girl fell with a scream of anguish, her hands flying to her stomach in a vain effort to ease the horrible pain. Accelerator's smile merely grew wider, looking highly entertained by the girl's suffering.

"Just direct it away the second you touch her."

Another kick. The girl curled up into a tight ball, eyes scrunched closed.

"Of course, the damage she takes does increase by the factor of that."

A violent fit of coughing erupted as the esper's shoe connected with her body once again. The girl writhed as a stream of blood spurted from between her lips, staining the ground with crimson. Grinning like a maniac, Accelerator placed a foot on her back, pinning her brutally against the rough rubble. She squirmed, her body twisting viciously for any means of escape.

The albino laughed gleefully as he watched the girl struggle. She was like a worm to him, wriggling in desperation beneath his fervent hold. The fear his victim was exuding was intoxicating, making him feel invincible. It was moments like this that Accelerator thought he could understand what being God may feel like. He bathed in this feeling of raw power, drinking in his trembling prey's trepidation.

The Level 5 leaned forward and pressed his foot harder into her back. He craned his neck to observe the clone's shifting expressions as the pain intensified. For a long moment he persisted, watching in fascination as the girl's eyes widened and closed, lips parting to produce wordless cries and moans. Her fingers clutched desperately at the small stones scattered on the ground, flailing legs kicking up dust into the air. Accelerator simply observed these small details in turn with sickly blood-red eyes.

He watched as the girl's panicked orbs gradually returned to their usual blank, and her limbs stopped their wild movements, slumping onto the cold ground without resistance. Having realised her attempts were futile, Misaka 10032 became quiet, simply lying facedown beneath Accelerator's foot. The only sign that she was still alive was the sound of her ragged breathing and the rhythmic push of her strained ribs against her assailant's hold.

"Huh?" Accelerator tilted his head questioningly. "Is that it? I guess I should finish this game then."

He lifted his foot off the girl's back. She remained unmoving and silent except for the rattling sounds of agonised breathing. Leaning towards her, a slender, outstretched hand lingered in the air above the girl's body hesitantly.

"I'm feeling generous so I'll let you choose: how would you like to kick the bucket today, hmm?"

Eager eyes ran up and down over her prone form as the albino licked his lips hungrily. Only the clone's strained breathing could be heard in reply. A fist clenched around some loose stones on the ground, as if a new resolve was beginning to settle within the girl.

"Ah, maybe you're not done yet? But I'm getting bored of this game, so I think I'll just finish you off."

The albino's leg swung back like a catapult, ready to unleash the final, fatal blow on the prone girl before him. As his foot shot forwards to deliver its destruction, the girl squeezed her eyelids together, waiting for the inevitable eruption of pain and darkness to arrive.

"Accelerator!"

Misaka 10032's eyes flew open at the familiar voice and her assailant's leg froze in mid-kick. A slight frown marring his forehead, Accelerator turned to identify the source of the shout. His red eyes locked on the newcomer, widening as they were met with another vision of his target. Beside him on the ground, the clone had turned her head as well, gazing at the person before them with surprise.

She had the same face, the same hair, the same clothing… As them. But her expression alone was enough for Accelerator to realise the truth. This was no clone.

It was _her_. The Original of these 20,000 mass produced "Sisters", Misaka Mikoto, the third ranked Level 5 of Academy City.

The Railgun.

"Step away from her," the Original's voice was quiet, but it rang across the space between them commandingly.

Accelerator did not comply, simply standing still with a stony expression, eyes fixed on that physical figure he had come to know so well over the months. Although they shared the same appearance, his first meeting with the Original herself had felt different, and that feeling suddenly became renewed like some bizarre déjà vu. It wasn't just the power difference between the Level 5 Railgun and the Level 3 clones. That face he knew so well, the face that usually held nothing but a void kept wavering and shifting in a turmoil of emotions on this particular individual. It mystified and piqued his curiosity in some strange way he couldn't quite put a finger on.

"I said, step away from her!" The Railgun's tones grew rough. Her eyebrows were knitted together into a menacing frown, brown eyes beneath them glaring at the albino murderously.

"Tch." A small grin tugged at a corner of Accelerator's lips. "What's up with ya, third-rate?"

"Stop… Misaka… calls out to you both."

Bloodied and bruised, the fallen Sister muttered from where she lay. Her head feebly rose to look directly at Mikoto. She inhaled deeply, steadying her breathing before speaking again.

"Onee-sama… should not have interfered with the experiment… that was just about to conclude… Misaka chastises… the Original."

Mikoto's gaze flickered to the fallen girl briefly, lips thinning ever so slightly. Then her eyes turned back to Accelerator, completely ignoring the Sister's speech as she slowly walked forwards.

"Just leave her be! Your fight's with me now."

The albino's lopsided grin grew bigger at hearing the electromaster's declaration.

"What's with the suicide wish? Didn't our meeting last time teach you anything? I'm only grouped with you as a Level 5 because that's the highest level in Academy City. It's the same as eyesight tests that only go up to 20/20. I have no choice _but_ to be grouped together with a weakling like you!"

The Railgun said nothing, but the edges of her determined eyes tightened.

"Misaka… doesn't understand…" 10032 breathed. Her widened eyes were brimming with uncertainty and pain. "Misaka is just… an artificial body created for this experiment… She can be recreated with just a push… of a button at the cost of 180,000 yen-"

"Who cares about that?!" Mikoto interrupted her harshly. Steely eyes continued to focus on Accelerator.

"There's only one of you, got that?! And I won't forgive anyone... _Anyone_ who thinks otherwise!"

The fallen girl stared at her Onee-sama with an open mouth. Something stirred deep within her chest, but she failed to identify what it was. It unsettled her, but at the same time, made her warm inside.

A cold laugh pierced the night, chilling the air.

"You're not just dull and weak, you're incredibly thick too, aren't ya?" Accelerator sniggered, leering at the other Level 5. "You really think you can win?"

The fire in the Railgun's eyes flared brilliantly in response.

"Yes…" Tightly clenched fists shook with emotion. "I'll win and end all of this tonight!"

The albino snorted, clearly amused. A sadistic grin spread from ear to ear as his blood-coloured eyes locked on his next target.

"Alright then. Do try to make this entertaining… Miss _Railgun_."

Her alias was hissed out in a derogatory manner, a clear effort to mock and injure her pride. With that sadistic grin still pasted on his ghostly features, Accelerator moved to step forward. But as he did so, he felt something nearing his leg. Distractedly glancing down, he saw the fallen clone's outstretched hand reaching for him shakily, mustering all of her remaining strength to stop any advances on her Onee-sama.

"Misaka… advises you… to not fight the Original… In doing so… anomalies may rise… Misaka warns- Argggh!"

A brutal kick to the clone's face sent her flying backwards, screaming. She rolled a few times on the ground before coming to rest facedown, completely limp and motionless. His pale face distorted with rage, Accelerator rounded on her, stalking up to the silent body.

"Just shut the fuck up, you noisy doll! I can do what the fuck I want-"

"STOP HURTING HER DAMMIT!"

Accelerator's head turned, eyes growing large with surprise at the sight that greeted him.

Her lips were parted in a roar of anguish, her previously controlled anger now contorted into an expression of pure hatred. Blue tendrils of raw power danced in fury around the electromaster, whipping her brown hair about wildly.

Brown eyes burning with unquenchable flames, the Railgun lunged forwards without a trace of hesitation, heading straight towards Accelerator…

And her doom.

XXXXXXX

21st August, 9:38 pm

Misaka Mikoto.

This was the only person within the troubled mind of a certain spikey-haired boy.

After spending a frozen eternity upon that iron bridge, Touma had somehow managed to regain movement in his stiff limbs. He was now slowly walking along the empty street, his heavy feet dragging behind him reluctantly. He had no idea where he was going, but his thoughts were too occupied to even care about this lack of a destination.

The bright sparkle of a tear continued to play in his mind, mocking and disturbing him.

No matter how much he tried to understand, to make sense of everything that had happened, Touma simply couldn't. He felt as if a major piece of a puzzle was missing, preventing him from forming the larger picture. Although he tried his best to ignore the nagging gut-feeling that this was somehow important, the unpleasant recognition of incomprehension continued to persist.

A frustrated sigh whooshed out from his lungs, his breath condensing in the cold air. His brain begged him to take a break from musing over this issue. But one thought pushed aside was quickly replaced by another, and all revolved around a single individual: Misaka Mikoto.

_"There are a total of seven Level 5s in Academy City, but based on the results from the Tree Diagram simulations, it has become clear that only one of them holds the potential to reach the as-yet unseen Level 6."_

Words from the report he had read earlier floated around in his bewildered thoughts.

_"Through the standard curriculum, it would require 250 years for the subject to reach Level 6."_

Level 6… just what did that even mean?

They say that a Level 5 has enough power to stand against a military force on their own, so just what kind of monster would a Level 6 be?

_"We thus abandoned this course of action and considered advancing his ability growth through live combat."_

Was this Level 6 so important that these scientists were willing to sacrifice other people's lives to attain it? Or did they simply not care from the very start? To even consider killing someone 128 times was absurd, downright sick and twisted to the very core…

Wait.

Touma's footsteps faltered to a stop under a flickering street lamp.

_"Based on the simulations, we have concluded that by preparing 128 kinds of battlefields, and killing the Railgun 128 times, the subject would shift to Level 6."_

He stared down at his flickering shadow on the pavement beneath his feet.

Kill?

He only realised now how inappropriate that word was in referring to somebody who was supposedly cooperating with the project.

But… hadn't Misaka said she donated her DNA willingly? So he was right, wasn't he? She had known about this project and gave them their full consent…

_"However, as it proved impossible to procure multiple Railguns… We have decided to use the Sisters, originally from the suspended Radio Noise Project, as replacements. By using 20,000 Sisters in various combat scenarios, we may achieve a Level 6 Shift."_

His fingers curled in, forming tight fists. To agree to something so twisted…

_"Created in tanks full of chemicals. By scientists. I don't really think of them as humans."_

That was what she had said, without a single care in the world. It was unforgivable.

Still, something didn't seem quite right, something didn't add up. The sparkle of a falling teardrop as she had turned away still refused to leave his mind. What did it mean? Was it regret? Was it guilt? Did the girl finally realise what horrors she had allowed? Or was it…?

_"Do what you want. By the time you try to do anything anyway… it'll be over."_

His pulse quickened. What would be over?

_"You can't stop the experiments. No one can. There is just no way to do so…"_

Was it just his memory failing him, or had her voice really trembled and shaken so terribly? He had been so caught up in the moment of his anger that he had failed to grasp these little details that now seemed to be of utter significance.

_"I trust you to look after my Sisters…"_

The flickering shadow extending from his feet swayed chaotically, as if it so desperately yearned to unite with the darkness that lay just out of its reach.

_"There's another experiment tonight."_

His eyes stared into that pool of black without blinking, drawn in by its supple and hypnotising movements.

_"Don't look for me again. You won't be able to find me anyway…"_

What if…? Touma's eyes widened.

Those careless smiles, those imprudent smirks, those cold, irredeemable words spoken so heartlessly…

What if…?

A teardrop, glinting so serenely as it fell in the darkness…

His fists shook. No… No way… It couldn't be…

_"Good bye, you idiot."_

A sudden explosion rocked the area, and Touma whipped his head up in time to see a bright flash of orange and yellow light somewhere far ahead. The terrifying sound had almost made him jump out of his skin. As the brilliant warm hues died away, thick black smoke arose steadily into the windless night air.

His mind suddenly felt blank.

A fire…?

For a long moment, he simply stood, watching the slow trail of ebony wisps ascend to the sky.

_"There's another experiment tonight."_

_"Don't look for me again. You won't be able to find me anyway…"_

_"Goodbye, you idiot."_

And suddenly, all of the bewildering jumble, the mess and the chaos that had tormented him clicked together into a picture. It was still incomplete and vague, but it was now somewhat comprehensible.

Comprehensible enough to send a shocking chill through his body.

"No!"

With that cry of denial, Touma broke into a fast run, his dread-filled eyes completely focused upon that single destination in the distance, marked only by a smoky trace in a world that was consumed by darkness.

XXXXXXX

"Guah!"

Mikoto's eyes grew wide as a wave of pain hit her, sending her flying backwards. The iron sand sword that the electromaster had created during her rage-fuelled advance dissipated into the dust it had been born from. The airborne girl hit the ground violently, her right side sliding painfully against the jagged stones before coming to an abrupt rest.

Immediately, she struggled to stand up, huge eyes hazy with pain and terror. Panic seized her mind, spreading like wildfire. Her basic instincts kicked in, demanding her to flee, to strike back, to do anything to stop the horrible pain. Electricity was already sparking from her hair, ready to lash out again at her opponent, to hurt, to maim, to kill…

No.

In a moment of clarity, her true purpose of being there came flooding back. Lying so helplessly on the ground, beaten and bruised from the very first move, unable to do anything against the unstoppable force that was Accelerator... This was how it was supposed to be. She couldn't afford to give into the pain-fuelled instincts that guided her own self-preservations.

After all, Mikoto wasn't here to win the battle, she was here to win the war. And to win the war, she had to first accept the punishment she sorely deserved.

Accelerator had been completely right. There was simply no way she could win a fight against him. Even though they were both grouped under the same category of "Level 5", their power difference was not dissimilar to the distance between stars.

_"Based on the simulations, we have concluded that by preparing 128 kinds of battlefields, and killing the Railgun 128 times, the subject would shift to Level 6."_

Mikoto let her electricity fade away, her form crumpling flat onto the ground once more. Her fists clenched tightly around some loose stones and dirt, grabbing them blindly through unshed tears. It was easy to let the panic take control of her body, because the fear she felt was very much real.

_"From a simulated combat with Accelerator, it has been predicted that Railgun would be killed after 185 moves."_

The scientists were willing to believe and follow whatever a machine told them. They were so logical they had no room for compassion or feeling, leaving them as cold and indifferent as those computers they so heavily relied upon. This uncaring attitude made them dangerous and brutal as Mikoto had the misfortune to discover. But it also made them weak, for their powers of logic failed to keep their minds open. What had been the original cause of this entire nightmare was to become Misaka Mikoto's greatest weapon.

She would fool them all.

Mikoto crawled away slowly, focusing beyond the layer of panic on each lift of the trembling arm to gain distance. Her jaws were clenched tightly, partly to keep the pain at bay and partly to keep herself concentrating on the task at hand and not let any of her powers slip. She had a show to put on, an important part to play. And it was for 20,000 people - 10,031 whose deaths were already upon her shoulders, and 9,969 who would be saved if she carried out her act successfully.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

Mikoto's palpitating heart skipped a beat. Slowly, she turned her head to find Accelerator approaching her with slow, tantalising steps. She didn't even need to act fearful. The trepidation came naturally; a single glance at those deadly red eyes filled with bloodlust was more than enough.

He cocked his head to the side questioningly as she stared back at him wordlessly with dilated pupils.

"Don't tell me…" The albino suddenly stopped in his tracks. His bemused expression contorted into disgust. "Is that it?"

"Pl-please…" Mikoto whimpered. "Don't… P-please…" Her teeth clattered together of their own accord, her words stumbling out.

Accelerator frowned, glaring at Mikoto like she was nothing more than an annoying insect. She flinched visibly under his stare.

"Aren't you supposed to be the Original or whatever? The blueprint of these dolls? Aren't you meant to be much stronger than them?"

 _'That's right…'_ A part of the electromaster's mind still under strict self-control encouraged the albino on, _'Keep thinking along those lines…'_

He took another step forward towards her, his white eyebrows pushed together in puzzlement.

"I _know_ our power difference is significant, but you're still a fucking Level 5, aren't ya?"

_'...And convince those scientists that their plan was completely wrong from the very start…'_

"So why are you lying there eating dirt already?"

_'...185 moves… If I can make them think I don't even have that much value...'_

"You're even more pathetic than the manufactured dolls of yourself."

_'...If I can do nothing but cough up blood… And attempt to run away from the very first move…'_

"Is our power difference seriously this big? You're proving to be a big disappointment, third-rate."

_'...Then wouldn't they think, 'these machines can be wrong'?'_

"What were those bloody scientists thinking making clones of a weakling like you?"

_'...They would think that they had been wrong to use me as the basis for cloning… And then…'_

"Shit, I knew this fucking plan wasn't gonna work. Like hell this was gonna make me a Level 6."

_'...They would have no choice but to abandon the project…'_

"They fucking made me waste my time!"

_'...And I'll be of some worth after all…'_

Anger twisted Accelerator's features into a snarl. Mikoto let whimpers push past her lips as cold sweat ran down her forehead. Mentally, she braced herself for the punishment that would inevitably arrive. Deep inside, a selfish part of her prayed the pain would be bearable, that the end would be swift. But she knew there would be no easy way out, not for her. Her fate had been sealed years ago, on that day she had given away her DNA. And ever since she had begun her journey down this one-way road of no return, Mikoto had accepted that a cruel and terrible death awaited her. But she also believed with all her heart that she deserved that kind of agony 20,000 times over, and would gladly welcome it, if it meant she could save all of her Sisters.

She would make her existence worthwhile by proving to the scientists just how worthless she was.

That was her ultimate goal- to win, by losing miserably.

Mikoto had seen images of herself broken and dying over and over, and now as her final moments approached, her mind's eye visualised her death one last time. A crimson pool spreading rapidly beneath her twisted body, deformed beyond recognition. Soulless, dull eyes staring at nothing, a gaping mouth frozen forever in a soundless scream… Splinters of bone protruding out like thorns from the unnatural angles of her limbs, torn muscle and flesh scattered around like dust…

"What the fuck. I'll kill those fucking bastards for tricking me into this," Accelerator spat. His angered eyes locked on the electromaster's trembling form, and he began his slow advance on his prey once more. "But first, I'll put you out of your misery."

Mikoto squeezed her eyelids shut. Frost was spreading across her mind, its fingers as cold as ice. Everything felt numb as she retreated deep inside herself, separating her quieting thoughts from her physical self. A sense of calm washed over her, a gentle acceptance of what was to come. It was almost surreal, this sudden feeling of peace as she awaited her punishment. Although her eyes were still closed, her taut facial muscles relaxed, making her look as if she was simply asleep. Her pale skin was bathed by the moonlight, the pearly colour marred only by streaks of dirt and flecks of dust. The corners of her bluish lips curved gently upwards, a smile of victory blossoming as she waited patiently for her wish to be granted.

The wish that her Sisters would be saved.

A terrifying sound of an explosion rang in Mikoto's ears and she felt a shock wave slam into her body. She hardly felt the pain however, as she sailed through the air and landed a couple of metres away. She lay there sprawled and unmoving, calmly anticipating the next attack.

But seconds crawled by, and none came.

In the midst of her tranquility, the electromaster felt that something was amiss. Slowly, she opened her eyes and carefully lifted her head. Pain she had managed to evade previously suddenly rushed back as she reconnected with her physical being. Gritting her teeth, she pushed the nauseous feeling away, forcing her trembling arms to bear the weight of her upper body in order to see what was going on.

She blinked.

Everything was grey and black. Ash entered her eyes and nostrils, forcing her to squint and cover her mouth and nose with a hand. Something had obviously exploded nearby, leaving an acidic, burning smell hovering in the air. Mikoto coughed, her lungs constricting painfully as she struggled to breathe.

Her stinging eyes immediately tried to seek out Accelerator in the smoke, wondering what had just occurred. She could not conclude upon a plausible explanation as none of them made any sense. Accelerator making a mistake seemed impossible; somebody else stumbling upon this experiment and attacking the albino was unthinkable… Unless...

Blinking away the dust, her watery eyes focused upon a figure that was revealing itself as a part of the thick smoke began to clear away. Half sitting up, with dried blood painted down one side of her face, Misaka 10032 was staring right back at Mikoto. Something shined anew in those usually blank eyes, and in the darkness, they were like two glittering stars full of promises and hope.

Mikoto's eyes widened as a sudden understanding dawned.

It had been _her_.

Although 10032 did not speak, her eyes were desperately telling Mikoto to seize this chance and flee, to use the distraction the clone had created and save herself.

Mikoto's mouth opened and closed silently, unable to produce words to match her torrent of feelings. Her throat burned and her eyes stung, but this time, it had nothing to do with the smoke or the ash.

She knew, because her heart was burning as well.

"You shitty piece of trash," the familiar, rough voice echoed out from deep within the smoke.

Her pulse racing to a maximum, Mikoto whipped her head around to the sound as the skinny Level 5 emerged from the black and grey ashes. There was neither a scratch nor a speck of dust on him. He still looked fresh, as if he had just taken a stroll in a park rather than having stepped on a hidden landmine.

He didn't even look shaken, just completely annoyed.

"The fuck do you think you're playing at?!" He snarled at the clone, his expression contorting into a grotesque image of anger. "Do you want to die first then, is that it?"

10032 shifted her calm gaze to Accelerator. When she spoke, her voice was riddled with pain but still somehow even and steady.

"Misaka requests that experiment 10032 be resumed now, Misaka pleads with the target to refocus his attentions on the task at hand-"

"This experiment is fucking OVER!"

Before the Sister could even blink, Accelerator turned into a blur. The heavy smoke cleared away suddenly, expanding outwards into the night and leaving everyone with a better view of each other under the moonlight.

Even so, 10032 hardly saw it coming.

A crimson fountain erupted as an arm was torn away, as easy as ripping paper. The severed limb was thrown carelessly, discarded onto the ground with an audible thud. Before the pain could even be realised, the opposite leg followed suit, ripped away violently from the middle of the thigh. The splintered end of a white femur was revealed, spurting the deep red liquid from its surrounding mess of mangled muscles.

As the pain finally hit, a terrible scream wrenched from the girl's throat, but it was quickly cut off when a hand brutally clasped around it, choking off her air supply. She gurgled, widened brown eyes staring into those cold ones of a killer.

There was nothing within them.

Empty.

Remorseless.

CRACK!

Mikoto sat frozen, unable to comprehend what was happening. Her dilated pupils followed the trajectory of the Sister's mutilated body as it was tossed away like a ragged doll. The clone hit the ground, her head lolling freely to the side as the weirdly-angled neck failed to provide any kind of support. A pool of dark red spread rapidly beneath the still and silent body, flowing in rivulets between the loose stones of the switchyard.

"No… "

Only a single word of denial could be whispered, her mind and body completely frozen with shock. Mikoto wanted to reject what had just happened, but the hard proof was lying there right before her terrified eyes. Bile rose, burning her throat painfully.

"No…"

A swarm of thoughts overwhelmed her. That this simply couldn't be real, that another Sister had died because of her, that she had failed yet again to protect them, that she was so utterly useless in the face of this nightmare…

Then everything swirled into one pure emotion, a hatred directed at the one person, no, the monster who had participated in these sick experiments so willingly and with apparent joy. The trembling fire spread through every fibre of her being, her vision colouring a bright crimson as her traumatised eyes zoned on Accelerator. The intense hatred grew and grew until it exploded outwards in the form of hot-scalding rage, expressed by a wordless scream of heart-wrenching agony.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Nothing. Except for this uncontrollable thirst for vengeance.

The Railgun suddenly broke free of the invisible chains and sped towards Accelerator. Her wild eyes looked deranged, the wordless cry of anguish still emanating from her parted lips as she charged in a frenzy. Electricity crackled around her ominously, its volatile blue tendrils streaking behind her like bizarre wings.

Accelerator turned his head, greeted by a sight that flickered surprise on his pale features which quickly transformed into a flash of confused recognition.

For Mikoto, she hungered for only one thing, and nothing else could satisfy her.

Her arms stretched out towards her prey, lips curled into a snarl and exposing her canines. Her fingers flexed inwards, itching to close in around his neck and snap it like a twig, just as he had done…

A bright light suddenly flashed before her eyes, blinding her completely. Confused, the Railgun faltered in her wild advance, hands flying back to claw at her incapacitated eyes. The whiteness behind her eyelids faded to black, leaving her disorientated and dizzy. A great wind tugged at her form, and the electromaster struggled against its power, limbs flailing sluggishly. Her stomach churned as a horrible feeling of nausea burned up her throat and left an acidic taste on her tongue. Blind eyes watered, unwanted tears leaking down her cheeks as her hair blew about wildly in tandem with the screaming wind in her ears…

Everything was spinning, spinning, spinning…

In the chaos, Mikoto thought she heard somebody cry out her name from a distance. She tried to reach out towards the sound, to hold onto this last thread of certainty, but its echoes faded away too fast, slipping out of her grasp.

Distant memories flashed by rapidly, each image representing all that had shaped her to become who she was now. Her family, her friends, her Sisters… Her heart constricted as they were brought to the forefront of her bewildered mind. It was a pang of joy and sorrow mingled with love, each bittersweet memory awakening her soul anew.

_'Am I… Dying? Is this what death is?'_

The howling world was dark. She was dimly aware of how weak she felt, her body sapped of strength and spiraling about in an unknown void.

_'If I die I'll never get to see them again…'_

Everything was still spinning, the darkness that was her vision seemingly growing darker and darker. There was no sense of time, no sense of being. She felt as if she was floating away, dispersing into small, insignificant particles and into the nothingness that consumed everything.

_'I... I don't want to die…'_

With that final thought, the darkness seeped into her mind and Mikoto knew no more.

XXXXXXX

His breath was coming out in quick pants, but Touma kept up his pace, knowing his destination was near and that every second passing was precious time lost. The rising smoke ahead waved at him frantically, signalling him to hurry. He focused his eyes on the black wisps, trying not to think too hard about what he might eventually discover there, and praying to any God that would listen that he was not too late.

His feet swiftly carried him closer to the switchyard in District 17, fuelled by his determined and racing heart. He found himself upon a small footbridge, and became alarmed by the fact that the smoke seemed to be fast disappearing suddenly. Only a few trails remained, rising fast into the open night sky. Then they too faded, vanishing away into nothing.

Cursing under his breath, Touma rushed to the edge, realising that the source of the smoke had originated from down below. He leaned over the railing to peer beyond the cargo crates with narrowed eyes. It was too dark to see anything clearly. He thought he could observe some movement in the distance, but that was all he could discern. Knowing he was running out of time, he moved to get down closer, spotting the stairs nearby.

Before he could even take another step however, he heard it.

It was the most terrible scream, full of so much rage and anguish it hurt just to hear it. An icy shiver ran down his spine, and his chest throbbed painfully in response to the sound. Touma fought the desperate urge to block his ears and drown it out. Instead, he quickly focused his eyes back to that blanket of black, trying to locate where it had come from.

He received his answer as a bright light suddenly expanded from a single point up ahead, revealing everything nearby. His eyes widened as he saw a familiar figure in Tokiwadai uniform staggering, obviously blinded by the abrupt flash of light. In front of her was a skinny albino, and even from the distance, Touma could discern his surprised expression illuminated in the whiteness.

He watched transfixed as the light continued to grow, consuming the two figures. A powerful wind began to twirl around them and something akin to a tornado formed, tossing the bodies swirling into the air as the boy looked on helplessly. Touma gripped onto the cold railings, the wind threatening to blow him away like a leaf also. He stubbornly kept his eyelids parted against the raging wind and tried to work out what was happening. The whirlwind grew taller, sucking everything in its clutches up towards the night stars. The two people caught within it quickly turned into two black specks in the pool of spinning light, moving higher and higher into the unreachable distance.

A single name was upon his lips, a cry of desperation and apology, of a realisation too late.

"MISAKAAAAAA!"

Then the tornado and the light suddenly vanished, leaving nothing but darkness behind.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm sorry for making everyone worry."

They were sitting together at their usual meeting place - Joseph's Coffee and Restaurant. Their favourite treats lay neatly arranged on a wooden dining table, the beautiful desserts and drinks looking every bit inviting to the taste buds.

"It's all on me," Mikoto said brightly. She gestured towards the delectable contents on the table, urging her friends to eat. "Go for it!"

Nobody moved.

In the awkward silence, Mikoto's carefree smile gradually dissolved into an expression of uncertainty to match the other faces worriedly peering at her.

"Misaka-san…" Ruiko was the first to eventually speak up. "Where were you last night?"

For the briefest moment, Mikoto's face blanked. It was a change of masks so swift and smooth it was almost impossible to detect. In a flicker it was gone, replaced by a secretive smile of a dreamy and romantic teenaged girl.

"I wanted to see the stars," she said simply.

The others stared, bafflement oozing out from their unrelenting gazes.

"Huh?"

"The stars?"

Mikoto nodded. "Yeah, don't you sometimes get sentimental like that?"

She had secretly hoped they would be satisfied with her answer, but had also realised at the same time that it wouldn't be enough. Judging from the bewildered looks on her friends' faces, the lack of an explanation really needed attending to. So she obliged, a hand cupping her chin as she leaned onto the table. The soft curving of her lips enhanced the dreamy look in her eyes as she gazed off into the distance wistfully, staring longingly at something none of her friends could see.

"Sitting on a swing in the park alone, humming a melancholy tune, wanting to just stare at the starry sky forever…" She whispered softly. Mikoto swept a swift glance around the group. "You know that kind of mood?"

Her heart sank when she was met with nothing but blank faces and shaking heads.

"Nope."

"I don't get it."

"R-really?" Mikoto breathed deeply through her nose, averting her eyes away. She wished that this subject matter could just be dropped.

"Well," she shrugged lightly, "it doesn't matter. I just felt like it."

She could feel them exchanging silent but meaningful glances as she focused her vision on the view of the streets outside through the window. Mikoto knew they were confused and anxious, and it seemed she was only making it worse with every word spoken. She hated worrying them like this, causing pain without meaning to. She was a Level 5, the Railgun, recognised as one of the most powerful of Academy City. But still, she could not protect what was dearest to her without causing hurt, and she was achingly aware of just how much trouble she had produced for her friends in the past because of her reckless actions. Even now, she was…

_'Why am I so weak?'_

"By the way," Kazari suddenly spoke up, "did you find out what that code you asked me about yesterday was for?"

Mikoto's heart lurched and her mouth suddenly became dry. This was one question she had not been expecting. In fact, she had completely forgotten about it when she had played out this scenario in her head earlier. Now she wished she hadn't involved Kazari, even though her help had been extremely invaluable.

It was too late for such regrets though, and she was having way too many of those lately.

"What code?" Ruiko questioned Kazari directly. From the surprised looks on everyone's faces, it was evident the flower-wreathed girl hadn't told anyone about Mikoto's late night phone call.

"Well…"

"O-oh, that?!" Mikoto quickly interrupted, wanting to gain control of the situation. She didn't want Kazari informing them of the code or alluding to any part of it. She felt guilty enough having gotten one friend involved. She didn't want any of the others to know anything if she could help it.

"That was… Uh… That was…"

Her hands tightly gripped the cup of coffee on the table before her. She hardly noticed its scalding surface painfully burning into her reddening skin. She could feel everyone's eyes fixed upon her, trying to decipher her every movement and expression. All of the muscles in her body felt tense and tight, and she stared into her gently steaming drink refusing to meet their eyes. She suddenly felt as if she was on trial, desperately seeking excuses, a way to redeem herself.

Mikoto wished she did not have to lie to her friends anymore; she was so tired of keeping secrets, but knew she had no other choice. If she told them the truth, there was every possibility it could expose them to great danger.

_'No… I can't let that happen… They might face the same… the same…'_

A ripped-out leg on the ground, swimming in a pool of red…

Eyes of cold crimson steel, their emptiness reflecting the silver moonlight…

A pale figure of death, whispering taunting words in her ear…

"Onee-sama?"

Mikoto was suddenly aware of how tense she was, hunched over with jaws clenched together. She focused on breathing deeply, working to unhook each finger squeezing the teacup in a deathly grip. Beside her, she sensed Kuroko shift in her seat, trying to meet her eyes.

"Misaka-san, are you okay?"

She could hear in Ruiko's tone of voice that no positive answer Mikoto gave would be able to convince her now. It was pointless to answer anyway. It didn't matter whether she was okay or not. Not when the Sisters were being killed mercilessly because of her foolishness years ago. She had been so naïve back then, so willing to trust, that she had turned a blind ear on the rumours that had shadowed her, and a blind eye on the small hints that had followed afterward. If only she had listened… If only she had paid better attention..! But it was no use wishing when time was long gone and passed. What she could do from this point onwards was what she had to focus on. Because now…

"I can see them…"

They were like the stars.

They had always been there, shining and silent. She just hadn't had the ability to see them, as they had been obscured by her ignorance, and her stubborn refusal to acknowledge their existence.

They were like the stars.

From a distance, they all appeared the same. But Mikoto realised now that they would all have their individual lives, their personal stories and experiences to tell.

Since last night…

"I… I can see them all now… That's why…"

Still, Mikoto could not completely accept them as humans. She did not care much for the Sisters' nonchalant attitudes towards their own deaths. She could not understand them, but she knew she had to defend them whatever the cost. It was her fault they had been created into their miserable and measured lives in the first place. And thus, it was only natural that their deaths stained her hands as well.

"Onee-sama…?"

She was in a mess. A mess she had placed herself in. The only person who she could rely on now was herself, and no one else. She was fully prepared to embrace a death similar to those of the Sisters if that was to be her punishment. However, she wasn't about to let her friends be immersed in such a world of darkness and pain, a world in which she now belonged to.

"The Arcade!"

"?!"

Confused by Ruiko's sudden outburst, Mikoto finally looked up, weary eyes meeting her friend's smiling ones.

"Let's go to the Arcade Centre, Misaka-san!" The long-haired girl elaborated with a nod. "I want another round with you on that punching machine!"

And suddenly, as if a silent spell had just been broken, the others joined in.

"That sounds great! Let's go to the Arcade!"

"Can we take another picture in the photo booth?"

"Oh, that's a great idea!"

"Let's do it!"

Mikoto's head swung this way and that, following the chorus of enthusiastic voices. She felt numb and bewildered, not understanding their sudden change of mood and the abrupt shift in topic.

"Let's forget about it that way," Ruiko said quietly, looking directly at Mikoto.

The electromaster's eyes slowly widened as an understanding of what her friends were doing dawned upon her.

"I…"

"Just don't forget this: we're here for you, okay?" Ruiko smiled, a gentle and encouraging expression of openness. "If you can't handle it yourself, just tell us whenever. That's what friends are for."

A swell of emotions erupted in Mikoto's chest and her throat suddenly felt tight. A brilliant warmth grew from deep within, and she opened her mouth to form words of gratitude and apology. But she did not know where to begin or how to express herself without sounding like a fool. So, with eyes shyly cast downwards above two rosy cheeks coloured by embarrassment, her lips produced a single word of acceptance instead.

"Yeah."

From their smiling eyes, Mikoto knew they understood.

XXXXXXX

The world was black.

The darkness surrounding her was peaceful. It demanded nothing, coexisting in harmony with a silence that enveloped her with a sincere sense of tranquillity. Floating calmly in this endless void, she felt an unexplainable contentment to remain there forever. She could not remember who she was or what she had been doing, but none of that seemed to hold any kind of meaning or significance. There was no sense of responsibility, no sense of time, no desire nor fear nor any kind of feeling… But she was perfectly fine with that.

Nothingness. Forever drifting away in time.

What did it matter anyway?

A spark of light suddenly grew in the darkness, the pale orb pulsing before her blankly staring eyes. It gradually neared her, hovering like a ghostly apparition. She stared at it senselessly, and only a vague thought of curiosity slid through her quiet mind. When the orb of light approached ever closer however, she felt gentle warmth radiating from its brightening brilliance. She shivered, suddenly realising how cold she was. Wanting to feel more of this beautiful warmth, she reached out her arms, desiring to grab the light so she could keep it with her always.

As her hands closed around the warmth greedily, colourful images began to flash before her widening eyes. They were bright and bewildering, full of people and places, of thoughts and feelings and dreams. She could not understand them. She wanted to return back to that serene tranquillity of nothingness, for the vibrant colours and the confusion that accompanied them were too much for her to bear. Her eyes filled with tears and her heart clenched painfully, but she could not understand _why_. If not knowing hurt this much, how much more painful would it be if she knew? She didn't want to find out…

No matter how hard she tried though, she simply could not tear her gaze away. An unknown force fixed her body in place, refusing to relieve her from the torture. The colours continued to torment her dilated pupils, and her heart continued to shudder sporadically in response. Her helpless situation suddenly became apparent and she wondered for the first time, what she had been doing there in the first place.

As soon as she questioned, the answers came. One after the other, information she hadn't cared to know before suddenly flooded into her mind, unlocking the door to her memories. Everything came rushing back. All she was, all she knew, all she had. What made her Misaka Mikoto. The light continued to grow and grow, the colours burning brighter and brighter in her eyes. They entered and rejuvenated her, integrating to become the very essence of her being. Wet pearls glided down her cheeks, but she hardly noticed as her mouth opened into a soundless expression of all that she could feel.

Alive.

She was alive.

Joy. Sorrow. Love. Hate. Anger. Desire. Every pore on her body tingled with the emotions of life. It was so wonderful, but very much terrifying at the same time. It consumed her entire being, yet proceeded to make her whole. The indescribable feeling seemed to continue for all of eternity - she, forever suspended in the middle of this wilderness full of emotions and memories…

Then suddenly, the strings that had been holding her abruptly vanished and she was falling, falling, falling…

Pain exploded everywhere as Mikoto suddenly impacted upon a hard surface. The previous elation she had felt was quickly replaced by an unforgiving weariness that pulsed in her very bones. As the pain slowly dulled into a throbbing sensation, she became aware of how she was lying face down upon what felt like rough concrete.

It wasn't the only uncomfortable feeling.

Without even opening her eyes, Mikoto knew something was terribly wrong. Something very much important was missing, a seemingly simple yet vital part of her that she could not yet quite identify. It kept nagging at her, the unpleasant sensation churning inside and growing unmistakably.

Her lips parted and an involuntary groan exhaled out. Mustering all of her strength, the girl pushed herself to a sitting position, chestnut-coloured eyes fluttering open to observe the world around her.

_'Where am I…?'_

She appeared to be at an entrance of a small side alley, huge concrete walls dwarfing her on either side. Ahead, the narrow space opened out into an empty street, various shops neatly lined up with trees and street lamps. Something seemed off about her vision though, and her foggy mind sluggishly tried to identify what it was. Her eyes turned heavenwards to gaze wonderingly at the blue, cloudless sky.

_'How strange… Wasn't it night time…?'_

With a sigh, Mikoto stood up, leaning onto the closest wall for support. Her knees shook from exhaustion, and her heavy head felt groggy. But she managed to keep standing, eyes turning back to the view of the main street.

For a long moment, she remained completely still, taking in the sight before her with a blankness that was associated with incomprehension. Then gradually, she began to notice everything that was wrong and everything that didn't make sense. One particular fact stood out - a fact so disturbing that everything else paled to insignificance.

She was clearly in a city, but there were _no electromagnetic waves_.

During her development as a high-levelled electromaster, Mikoto had acquired the skill to see electromagnetic field lines. When she had first attained the ability, they had seemed more an obstruction to her normal vision, but she quickly grew accustomed to it and began to appreciate their undeniable usefulness. She could recognise each line like the back of her hand, and they soon became a friendly map of the world around her. They provided easier ways for her to understand and navigate her surroundings, allowing her advantages others could only dream of. Countless times had seen them get her out of sticky situations, but she had always taken this special sense of hers for granted.

Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined it would one day just disappear.

The electromaster blinked furiously, wondering if her eyes were at fault. But it wasn't just her vision that bothered her. The gentle hum and buzz of roaming electrons in the air, and the comforting feeling of her favourite element constantly brushing at her senses, were also missing. They had always existed on the edge of her consciousness for as long as she could remember, and for the electromaster who had lived in Academy City since early childhood, this was the natural state of the world.

A whir of panic struck, sending her mind reeling. It was as if someone had suddenly gauged out a large portion of her eyes, leaving her feeling blind and vulnerable. Her electroperception had been a vital part of her, both as an esper and as a person. This was something she only realised now, only when it was too late and lost.

_'Why…? I don't understand… but…'_

Mikoto stared down at an open hand, large eyes full of fear. A single, terrifying possibility haunted her. She was scared of what it would mean should the theory be proved correct. Raw dread twisted in the pits of her stomach like a writhing serpent.

_'No… I can't start thinking like this…!'_

Her sweaty palms clenched into tight fists and her mouth set into a determined line. Jaws crunched together. Taking in a large lungful of air, she loosened her shoulders and made herself grow taller, gathering in positive thoughts. Then, with eyes full of self-empowerment, the esper produced a set of quick and familiar calculations, anticipating the blue sparks that were sure to follow.

Nothing.

Mikoto blinked, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Or rather, what had just _not_ happened. She reapplied the calculations, wanting to believe that she must have made some kind of mistake.

Again, nothing.

The dread exploded into a wild panic. Again and again and again she tried, each time producing nothing. No crackling of sparks, no tingling electricity in her veins, no familiar sense of power…

Absolutely nothing.

She couldn't think. Her teeth were clenched together tightly, nails painfully digging into her palms. All she knew was that she couldn't give up, that she had to keep trying and trying no matter what. She was the number three Level 5, one of the most powerful humans in Academy City and possibly the world. She was the strongest electromaster, the famous celebrity Railgun- it was unthinkable that she couldn't even produce a tiny spark. What was she without it?

Nothing, came the simple but truthful answer.

She was nothing without her ability, nothing without her powers.

What was she, if she couldn't be the Level 5 "Railgun"?

The wild panic grew and grew, consuming her mind. She grabbed a fistful of hair, tearing at the chestnut strands as her body slumped back onto the wall. Something was wrong with her. Was it a sickness? Was this condition temporary, or would she have to live with it from now on? Her entire body trembled in terror at the thought. To live the rest of her life without her powers…?!

"DAAAMMIIIT!"

With an enraged scream, Mikoto began to punch and kick at the concrete block beside her, putting all of her feelings of fury and helplessness into the strikes. Her hands began to bruise and bleed, and the surface of her school shoes began to abrade, but the girl took no heed. She needed something to vent out her anger on, and that was all she could care about.

Eventually though, she stopped. Breathing heavily, she leaned against the wall she had assaulted for the past minute, closing her eyes tiredly. Her bleeding hands hung uselessly by her sides, flecks of red dripping onto the ground. She took a couple of deep breaths in an attempt to calm down.

 _'Get yourself together!'_ Mikoto chastised herself. _'It's not something to lose it over! Think logically! Something must have triggered this. It can't possibly be permanent- I won't accept that so easily!'_

Not bothering to open her eyes, the girl thought back to the events that had lead to this mess. It had all happened so fast, but she vaguely remembered the flash of light and the terrifying wind. Were they somehow connected? It had been night-time then. Had she actually been unconscious for hours? She didn't even know where she was… She thought she was still in Academy City, but Mikoto couldn't be certain…

Something suddenly ran into her, slamming her head hard against the stone wall. Mikoto's eyes flew open, her vision becoming littered with bright stars of shock and pain. She felt something snake around her neck, locking it into a death-grip. Her airways squeezed together and Mikoto's mouth opened in a frantic effort to regain oxygen. Disoriented, the girl clawed at the offending hands, widened eyes desperately searching for her assailant.

"You bitch! What the fuck did you do?!"

Confused brown eyes met enraged red ones. Her pupils dilated as a familiar, pale face swam into her teary vision, its features horribly contorted with anger. His name passed through her mind, sending a shiver of terror down her spine.

_Accelerator._

"What the fuck did you do?! Answer me, you fucking maggot!"

He was shouting at her, shaking her like a rag doll by the neck. The back of her head slammed against the concrete repeatedly, making her yell out in pain. She had no idea what was going on, what Accelerator was even referring to or accusing her of. All she knew was that _something_ significant had happened, but she had no clue what or why or how, or what it all meant. The frustration in her mind exploded out, her voice full of venom despite the lack of air.

"I didn't do _anything_!"

The tips of Accelerator's thumbs dug into her windpipe, crushing it mercilessly. Mikoto's eyes widened, her teeth gritted against the burning sensation.

"Shut up! Shut up!" She heard his rough voice scream and echo in her ears. "You're fucking lying! I know you are! You did something! That light and the wind…! I know you fucking did something!"

As he shouted out his accusations, Mikoto writhed, trying to eel out of his brutal clasp on her neck as her fingers worked to pry his hands off. The desperation and her will to escape grew, and she hardly heard his words anymore in the din of her ringing head. All she knew was that she had to get free… Somehow… In any way…!

In a moment completely fuelled by desperation alone, Mikoto kicked out with a sudden burst of strength she hadn't known she possessed. She felt the sole of her shoe dig into his soft stomach and her eyes rounded with surprise. The grip around her neck loosened as the albino flew away backwards, slamming into the opposite wall with a cry of pain.

She stared, unable to believe her eyes.

Accelerator slid down the concrete, coming to a sitting position with a groan. His eyes were squeezed closed, the white eyebrows above them knitted together by heavy threads of agony. He gasped for air and his skinny frame shuddered, depicting a strange picture of frailty that Mikoto found difficult to believe.

For a long moment, Mikoto simply stared, not understanding what had just happened. Was he acting, pretending to be in pain? Did he let down his guard by accident? He was Accelerator, the strongest, the unbeatable Level 5. How could someone that powerful be cringing on the ground, obviously in pain from just a single kick? It simply didn't make any sense…

The staggering realisation hit her then, heavy with implications. Her widened eyes glanced over at the agonised figure before her- the jaws tightly clenched together, the skinny fingers curling to clutch at the area of pain, the scrunched eyelids hiding those cold red eyes…

It was obvious now, although he wouldn't admit it. Just like her, for whatever reason neither of them could fathom, Accelerator could no longer use his powers. And as the strongest Level 5 who had always relied upon his powers for everything, he really was a nobody without his powers.

A grim satisfaction suddenly swept over Mikoto. She looked down her nose at his crouched form with eyes hardened like ice.

Accelerator.

He was the cold-hearted, sadistic murderer who had killed more than 10,000 of her Sisters without a thought. He was a monster without a conscience and he deserved this pain, this agony, this feeling of weakness… but…

Was this punishment enough?

No, came the immediate answer. A single kick to the gut didn't do any justice. A simple loss of power just didn't cut it. Compared to what the Sisters went through…

Baring her teeth as a hot fury rippled through her, Mikoto approached the albino slowly, step by step. Cold brown eyes were upon him, not a drop of pity to be found. She saw his eyelids part open, revealing pinprick pupils staring up at her in terror. She saw him lean away, cowering into the wall behind him, obviously wanting to disappear from her presence. She saw all these things and they made her heart soar. A wild thrill that was a mixture of anger and excitement coursed through her veins, leaving her head pulsing in its wake.

She was powerful. He was weak.

She was going to punish him.

A twisted smirk erupted, oddly enhancing the sudden maniacal rage in her eyes. With a step, she crossed the remaining distance between them. Accelerator looked up again as her shadow fell ominously on his trembling form. A wheeze of panic left his lips and he pushed himself off the ground in an attempt to run away from the impending danger.

He didn't even manage one step.

A brutal kick landed on his stomach once more, ripping a scream of pain from his throat. Before his body could even hit the ground, another kick hit him, sending him sprawling against the wall. Again and again she attacked, as if he was just a ball for her to play with. And with each display of violence, her ferociousness increased tenfold, the words of hatred pouring out from her mouth.

"Are you in pain?! Are you now?!" she screamed at him, "You fucking bastard, I'll show you pain! I'll show you what my Sisters went through because of you!"

He fell to the ground as the final kick pounded his ribcage. He gasped for air, eyes roaming dazedly in panic, confusedly wondering if it was over. But the relief was only short-lived.

The Railgun pounced onto him like a cat, slamming him against the wall. A claw-like hand clamped around his throat, squeezing his trachea. His eyes flew open as the back of his head crashed into concrete, and he was forced to look into the Railgun's murderous eyes glaring down at him. Panic seized and he flailed wildly in her grasp. It was futile. She was much stronger than she looked, her grip relentless and unforgiving.

Mikoto crouched over his sitting form, leaning in towards him. She breathed in deeply, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. She could smell and taste his fear in the air and it was simply delicious. The wild excitement was still running deep in her veins, stimulating her senses. The feeling of power was intoxicating and wonderful; she didn't need any kind of esper ability after all. She could make the strongest cower away in terror, and held his life in her very hands. Right now, she was the most powerful in the universe, a force to be reckoned with - unstoppable and undeniable.

"Look who's the weakling now," she sneered mockingly. "You look pathetic!"

An arm replaced the hand holding his throat as she leaned in further, squeezing his neck against the wall brutally. He choked and gasped, trying to push her off, but he found his physical strength lacking compared to hers. A dry smile thinned her lips and her glinting eyes narrowed dangerously at his fruitless attempts to escape.

"What's wrong?" she snarled at him. "Are you sorry now? Are you feeling worthless?"

He answered with a gurgle, his pale face gradually turning a distinct shade of sickly blue.

A surge of rage flowed through Mikoto again and her vision clouded in a crimson haze.

"Answer me, you sick fucker! You should be feeling worthless! You should be feeling sorry! But you know what?! It's too late! It's bloody too late to be sorry now!"

An abrupt bubble of laughter burst from her mouth, the sound bouncing eerily between the two walls of the alleyway. It was the sound of madness, of a hysteria impossible to return from.

"That's right…" her head lowered as the last echoes faded away into silence. A dark shadow fell over her eyes, hiding her expression, "It's too late to be sorry now…" Her jaws clenched together with an audible crunch and she continued to speak through gritted teeth. "It's too late… That's why… That's why…!"

Crazed eyes filled to the brim with killing intent were revealed as her head snapped back up. Ruthless fingers swiftly replaced the arm that had been holding him in place, fingernails digging into his throat without mercy. His blue face was now slowly turning purple, but Mikoto observed this colour change with cold and empty eyes. A ghost of a smile danced on her lips, revelling in the vision of sweet retribution unfolding before her. The sounds of his dying breaths were like beautiful music to her ears, those blood-red eyes staring back her slowly fading into darkness…

_"I never thought you… a murderer."_

Her eyes widened as a familiar voice suddenly rang in her mind. Her body froze, breaths coming out in quick gasps. Dark pupils dilated, eyes unseeing of anything as memories of a certain spikey-haired guy swirled in her thoughts.

_A muderer… A murderer…?_

He had called her a murderer…

Her confused mind spun. Why had he called her that? She wasn't a murderer…

Mikoto blinked. Her bewildered eyes slowly trailed back to the figure in front of her. Accelerator's face was completely purple, his eyes and mouth wide open into a picture of agony and horror. She was suddenly aware of how his strained neck muscles were desperately pushing against her bare fingers, of how close she was leaning into him. She looked into those fading red pools, and saw a pair of widened eyes reflecting back at her.

The eyes of a murderer. Her own eyes.

Mikoto stumbled away backwards until she hit the opposite wall. Her back sank onto the cold concrete, desiring to put as much distance from the slumped figure of Accelerator as she could. She clutched her head, a burning pain throbbing in her brain. Her fingers twisted and tugged at the tangled locks of brown hair.

_'What am I doing…? What the hell… am I doing?!'_

She couldn't even answer herself.

Mikoto pushed herself flat against the wall as Accelerator slowly stood up. Her large eyes were fixed on his rising figure, her heart racing in fear of what he would do now. He raised his head with a groan, leaning onto the wall for support. A sideways glance brought the Railgun in his field of vision and his posture immediately stiffened.

Crimson eyes met brown, mirroring each other's terror.

An eternity passed and Accelerator tore his gaze away with a shudder. With a desperate cry born of panic and pain, the skinny albino broke into a run, fleeing into the deeper parts of the alley. Mikoto stared after him with rounded eyes, left behind in the echoes of his wordless cry.

As his back vanished into the darkness, Mikoto slumped against the wall tiredly. Her mind was a mess of emotions, a jumble of chaotic thoughts that could not be put to order. Questions circled around and around in her head, unable to be answered. She couldn't believe she had just tried to kill him. And yet, didn't Accelerator deserve it? He had killed and tortured her Sisters, didn't that justify her actions?

 _No_ , she told herself firmly. _Not like this… Never like this…_

_'I don't… I don't want to be like that… like him…'_

A burning feeling rose up to her chest and Mikoto fell onto her hands and knees, retching violently. Again and again she heaved, nothing but bitter bile forcing its way up from her empty stomach. For a long while, she remained crouched on the ground, shuddering and cringing as sobs racked her body. She leaned against the wall and curled into a tight ball; arms bringing her legs up to her chest protectively, to hold herself together against the searing pain that threatened to tear her apart. Tears fell steadily, dripping onto her cheeks and onto her tattered uniform.

Tears continued to fall, but Mikoto had no idea what she was crying about, or who she was even crying for.

XXXXXXX

_'I was nearly killed…! I almost got killed…!"_

Panicked words were echoing frantically in his mind as adrenaline pumped his skinny legs forward. He had no idea where he was going, but that hardly mattered. His trembling red eyes roamed wildly, unable to focus on anything within the bewildering maze of grey walls that surrounded him.

The only thing he knew, was that he had to get away.

Away from that _monster_ who had tried to _kill_ him.

A discarded glass bottle that had been sitting so innocently in the middle of the alleyway caught his shoe, and Accelerator was sent tumbling forward. His thin figure skidded across the hard concrete, an eruption of pain sending bright stars cartwheeling across his vision. The overwhelming sensation was bewildering and hateful. The swell of anger fuelled him as the albino quickly righted himself on his tired legs and pushed onwards.

He had no idea how long he had been running for. Seconds and minutes and hours melded together, forming a senseless tunnel of existence. As he continued to run, the albino gradually became aware of how exhausted he really was. With every movement, his fatigued muscles screamed in protest. Each fibre strained and struggled to contract and stretch, contorting painfully in submission to his agonised will. They burned in warning, but he continued to push on heedlessly, his laboured breathing harsh against his own ears. Every gulp of air he took seared his lungs without mercy. His heart thumped in an erratic rhythm, its loud pounding jolting his very bones.

He wanted to get away from this horrible pain – pain that he had never experienced before.

And so, he continued to flee.

The dark shadows that had long been looming suddenly vanished as the maze abruptly opened out before him. The stale smell of congested air that had persisted turned fresh in his nostrils. Harsh sunlight invaded his pupils, forcing his red irises to constrict. His arms immediately lifted to shield his eyes from the rays, but it was already too late and he was momentarily blinded by the searing whiteness. Strange new sensations bombarded his perceptions, enhanced further by his lack of sight.

He could feel the sun's rays tearing through his skin, each thread of light piercing through his pores like acute needles. Blood flowing beneath reached the boiling point. It bubbled in frenzy and threatened to explode out of his veins, each cell a charged-up atomic bomb. He thought he could feel his white skin slowly turning red from this torture, suffering from the scorching heat inside and out. He was trapped within his own body – an inescapable cage that was uncomfortably hot and stifling.

The feeling of sunlight dancing on the skin; it was a sensation that other people experienced every day. But it made Accelerator feel as if he was being burned alive.

Confusion slowed his mind as he clawed at his skin in a vain attempt to stop the all-consuming fire. Why was his vector-reflect shield not working? He had always had it on around himself by default for as long as he could remember. The shield had always managed to divert away these hateful rays of sunlight without fail.

_Why was it not there? Why was it not working?_

There was no time to figure it out though, he was burning and he had to do something quickly.

Or else, he was going to _die_.

Focusing past the mess of bewilderment, Accelerator quickly reapplied the calculations necessary for the reflect shield. No matter how many times he tried though, it simply did not work. The needles continued to stab into him ruthlessly, his pores spitting fire.

Panic struck hard, gripping him in its pitiless clutches. Still unable to see properly, he helplessly stumbled around in the daze of sunlight, having lost all sense of direction. He tripped over his own foot in his disorientation and cried out as he sprawled hard onto his side. Through the haze of agony, Accelerator began to crawl, trying to gain his bearings by feeling the rough concrete ground with his hands and knees.

Twisted shapes slowly began to form around him and he blinked furiously. He could discern that the world was darker to his left. Feeling a rush of victory, the skinny albino hurriedly lunged towards that darkness, wanting to get away from the overwhelming sensations that the sun alone had elicited in him.

The coolness of the air relieved the burning pain somewhat as he re-entered the maze of shadows. He could still feel the echoes of that boiling torture, but most of the burning sensations had died away into a dull throb. The skinny figure huddled into himself against a wall, eyes slitted open as he waited for his vision to return. His laboured breathing slowed in sync with the drumming of his heart. His entire body trembled with fatigue as his strength drained out of him. It was an exhaustion Accelerator had never experienced before; the only thing that was keeping him upright was the concrete block he was leaning on.

_'Dammit… Just what the fuck's going on…?_

The albino took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he let his body sink into the concrete wall heavily. He realised he had made a fatal error already in this crazy situation – he had allowed himself to succumb to panic. That had just been pure stupidity on his part.

What he needed to do now was to think clearly, to think back and work out logically what had happened.

_'That's right… My powers… They're…'_

He peeked his eyes open, glaring down at his pale hands.

_The light and the swirling wind…_

When Accelerator next became conscious, he had found himself lying sprawled across the ground in a dark alleyway. The disorder in his mind and the accompanying pain had driven him to his feet immediately. He had barely moved his sore head to look around when he realised that something was very wrong.

His vector shield, the automatic redirection field he always had around him for protection, was gone and no amount of calculation could bring it back.

The albino had tried everything. He had tried to crush the walls, he had tried to accelerate a rock's momentum, he had used his arms, his hands, his legs, his feet…

If he wanted, he could bring down a thick stone wall into a crumbling heap within a matter of seconds. If he so desired, he could turn a pebble into a rocketing projectile that could fly to Saturn with a simple touch. If he wished, he could tear apart a person into shreds with his bare hands. He could manipulate anything with a vector, which meant he could change the physical world around him however he wanted.

Invincible.

But now?

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

A fist slammed onto a wall angrily. It lacked force, a painful reminder of his weakened state. The disgusting pain made Accelerator reel away, and he curled into himself further, the bruised appendage carefully cradled in the other.

His powers were completely gone.

He was Accelerator. The feared number 1 of Academy City, the most powerful being in the universe. The one who was supposed to become Level 6, the one destined to be a God.

_And now he couldn't even fucking do anything without curling up like some pathetic worm._

Anger swelled deep inside once more, growing steadily like the rising magma of an active volcano. The rush of hatred and fury made his head feel light and he gritted his teeth against the dizziness.

Pathetic.

_Even sunlight had freaking scared the shit out of him._

He was pathetic.

His powers had always been there, to do as he pleased. They had always obeyed his every thought, his every command, his very will of existence. He _was_ the power, and the power was him. Without that power, he was nothing.

_He was just a dead corpse without a purpose._

His jaws tightened as a certain face swam into his head. The face he had seen 10,032 times, twisted in agony until their very last breaths. In his mind's eye, it transformed into a contorted expression of terrifying rage, a monstrous hatred deeply embedded in those narrowed brown eyes glaring so murderously at him…

_Railgun._

He tensed impulsively at the mere thought of the name, his body shuddering against a sudden chill that had crept upon him.

Taking a deep breath to keep his emotions tightly under control, Accelerator closed his eyes again as he let his head loll to the side and rest against the wall. Looking back on the moment the girl had tried to kill him with a clearer head, the albino realised something important. Much to his annoyance, his memory was rather foggy; it was most likely the result of his panicked reaction to the unexpected turn of events at the time. However, he was pretty certain of one thing – that the Railgun herself had not used her powers either.

Accelerator pondered this over with a slight frown. This probably meant that the monster couldn't use her abilities either, and was in the same predicament as he was. Unless…

She had just wanted to kill him with her bare hands.

The latter thought somehow amused him and a slight smirk pushed his lips upwards. The smirk immediately faded however and was replaced by a frown when he remembered just how close she had actually come to killing him that time.

Nobody… _Nobody_ had _ever_ came that close.

_'Tch… That little chit…'_

She had almost murdered him and he had been completely powerless to stop her. Never ever had he felt so helpless as he had then. It was little wonder he had panicked, although that was still an unforgivable slip-up on his part. Never again would he allow himself to succumb to such a stupid weakness, no matter what the situation was.

_'She fucking touched me…'_

He paused in his thoughts, his eyelids parting open to reveal gleaming red eyes glaring into the dark shadows. He remembered how the Railgun had released her deathly hold on his throat just as he was about to fade. And then, _she had let him go._

Why? Why had she not killed him? She had been so, so close. She had been in a privileged position nobody else had ever been in before. What made her pull away from him when she had been the one with absolute control? It just didn't make sense to Accelerator.

It was obvious enough the girl was completely enraged at him for being the centre of the experiments. She had even been crazy enough to challenge him to a fight multiple times just to defend those dolls. So then… What had shattered her resolve in the last second? There had been nothing stopping her, nothing preventing the Railgun from squeezing with her claws until every drop of life was sucked dry from her worst enemy.

He had seen the pure hatred blazing in her eyes; it was a simple fact that the Railgun absolutely loathed him. And yet…

_She had just watched as he had run away._

It made Accelerator feel even more pathetic now, realising that the Railgun may have had actually allowed him to escape. Perhaps she had been simply mocking him, playing around with him, to show that she had absolute control. Was she having a good laugh at him now, by herself? Was she plotting more ways to torture him now that she found herself to be in the advantage?

Accelerator's teeth grinded together with a crunch.

"That bitch! I'll fucking rip her apart when I get my powers back…!"

Energised by fury, he slowly stood himself up, leaning against the wall for support. His legs felt steadier, although his stinging calf muscles screamed in protest against his movements. Ignoring their complaints completely, Accelerator stood tall and looked around.

For the first time since becoming conscious, he took a good look around at his surroundings. He refused to go out into the sunlight, but glanced out between the walls, out into the streets ahead. A metal fence ran along a concrete footpath, and a small white building stood beyond. Trees and street lamps were lined up neatly in two perfect, straight rows.

Accelerator narrowed his eyes. Nobody was in sight.

 _'Misawa Cram School…'_ He read from a sign pointing further east. His forehead creased into a small frown of recognition. ' _That means we must still be in Academy City…'_ He glanced up at the blue sky above, _'but it's day time…'_

Something didn't seem right.

Although he still wasn't sure what that light and tornado had been about, he knew something strange had occurred. Of course, there was still the possibility that the Railgun had planned all of this, but the sheer confusion that had been present in her eyes when he had confronted her earlier had been too real for it to be an act.

Without his powers, the albino knew he was vulnerable. He really didn't fancy facing the Railgun again for a while in his current condition, but he needed to know where he was and what had really happened. Staying around in one spot wasn't going to help solve anything.

Using the wall as a support, he slowly began to move, taking one step after the other. He did not dare go back out into the sunlight but headed back in the direction he had come from. He was disgusted at how weak he felt and at the slow pace he was making, but he knew it couldn't be helped.

_'I need clues… I need to work out what's happened, where I am, and a way to get my powers back.'_

Something suddenly moved in the corner of his vision and he froze instinctively. At first, he thought it might be Railgun coming back for more, but something felt different. Although he had no powers, he sensed an eerie presence watching him, making every hair on his body stand on its end. With a low growl, Accelerator whipped his head around, trying to find the person. As soon as he turned however, the presence abruptly vanished, leaving only the uncomfortable feeling of uneasiness behind.

His crimson eyes swivelled this way and that in the shadows, trying to discern any further signs of movement.

Everything was still and silent.

A bead of sweat ran down his brow and he wiped it off with the back of a hand.

"Tch… Now I'm fucking jumping at shadows."

Scowling, Accelerator continued his slow progress, trying to shrug the incident off as nothing. The uncomfortable feeling continued to prickle his skin though, and he wondered if it had actually been more than just a figment of his imagination.

_'What the hell…'_

Suspicions were consuming his mind, eating away at his subconscious. Every little sound bothered his ears, every shift of the wind brushing against his skin put his teeth on edge.

He could not trust anything. Everything about this place - the mysterious apparition, the Railgun's motives - piqued his paranoia. His apprehensive eyes roamed over every nook and cranny as he walked, wanting to miss nothing. He was quite certain that the Railgun had also lost her esper powers, but that did not necessarily equate to zero possibility of further attacks on her part. She could be just around the corner, waiting to pounce on him again, and this time, maybe she would kill him for real…

The chit thought she was better than him now that both of their powers were gone. It was true, as the third-rate had proven, that she was physically stronger than he was in this current state. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he would be a fool not to see that the Railgun was in a more advantageous situation than he was. However…

 _'It's only temporary,'_ Accelerator thought with gritted teeth, _'Only temporary until I find out a way to restore my powers… Until then, I need something to protect myself with.'_

Righting himself from a dangerously close half-stumble, the albino let out a huff of annoyance and continued on his way, entering deeper into the dark alleys.

_'I need something to gain the upper hand here. Something to show her that I won't be messed with...'_

His pale lips twisted into a condescending smirk at the dark thoughts occupying his mind.

_'I'll soon put you back in your place, Railgun.'_


	4. Chapter 4

Rays of early afternoon sunlight scattered over the shiny pavement like sparkling diamonds. The neatly rowed streets were deserted apart from the small trees bordering them, the silently rustling leaves upon their branches stretching elegantly across the sky.

A shadow of a girl lingered watchfully just around an alleyway that was formed by two medium-sized structures. Brown eyes peeked out cautiously from behind a brick wall, carefully shifting this way and that. After a long minute, a light sigh that was almost inaudible escaped from between her shadowed lips and the figure finally stepped out fully into the light.

Mikoto began to walk along the street at a leisurely pace, trying to loosen up her tense shoulders. It was difficult to relax. She wasn't sure what she was more edgy about - the possibility of seeing Accelerator again or the fact that she hadn't seen another single soul since her last encounter with him. And she was still without her abilities - a hard truth that only made everything seem a thousand times worse.

Three relatively uneventful nights had passed since that time she had almost strangled the albino with her bare fingers. She had slept in secluded corners of buildings she explored, paranoia that he would come back for retribution keeping her wide awake for long intervals. Sometimes, she had a weird feeling a strange presence was silently watching her from just an arm's reach away, tucked unseen within the deep darkness. In the fitful periods of sleep she managed to have, nightmares haunted her relentlessly.

During daytime, Mikoto explored as much as she could, partly out of curiosity and partly out of the need to keep the nightmares from her mind. Despite being largely disorientated without the usual electromagnetic fields to guide her, she had managed to deduce some basic information about this place they were in, although many things still remained a complete mystery.

The location she was wandering around in was no doubt Academy City. In fact, this was exactly where Accelerator and Mikoto had last faced each other before the strange storm of light - District 17. Even now, a sign hooked up against a tall fence stated as such, and Mikoto trailed her eyes along the letters and numbers as she slowly passed it by.

When Mikoto had first realised this fact, she had immediately raced to the edge of the district. The map of Academy City clearly visualised in her mind, Mikoto envisioned herself crossing to District 9 and then District 7, where the place she called home - the Tokiwadai school dormitories - was located. She wondered if this strange occurrence was happening throughout the city, and hoped that was not the case. Feeling energised at the prospect of seeing friendly faces again and finding out what was going on, her drumming heart had almost leaped to her mouth in shock at what she saw.

Beyond the boundary of the district was a void – just an empty blackness leading to nowhere.

Mikoto had skidded to a stop, raw fear coursing through her system. She stared at the black void with wide eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing, yet knowing perfectly well that this was the terrifying truth. Shivering, she stood frozen for a long moment. Then a sudden boldness mixed with frustration swept through her, and before she could even think about what she was doing, Mikoto was running straight towards the void with gritted teeth.

She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but she hadn't been prepared for the collision with an invisible barrier. A wave of shocking pain jarred her senses and when she next opened her eyes she was looking up at the grey sky, a few metres away from the edge of District 17 that was marked by an ominous wall of black.

Mikoto had despaired then, knowing that her hopes of escaping the district was crushed by something she couldn't even begin to understand. She followed the boundary but quickly realised that any hopes of escape by this method would be futile. It was also stupid to keep trying to cross, for she had no desire to taste the attacks that the barrier let loose again. Her body was already bruised and tired from the weeks of fighting for her Sisters, and she knew she had to conserve her strength for when she really needed it. The empty void appeared to surround the entire district. Even if she did cross, her rational mind was terrified of being lost within the impenetrable darkness, unable to return, even to this strange world.

_'Is somebody playing around with us?'_

The sudden thought had floated into her mind many times since that incident, but she had quickly dismissed it every time. It was stupid. What kind of science could make everybody disappear within a district, neutralise all esper abilities and create a huge barrier of nothingness around it? Academy City made many things possible through technology, but this was just beyond ridiculous.

But then… What _was_ this?

_'Why Accelerator and me?'_

They had seen each other and yet, for the past three days, Mikoto had not met another soul. Despite all the strangeness, this was unarguably District 17 – a place where many of the factories and buildings were self-automated and thus harboured only a small population. Even so, it was only logical that under the normal circumstances she would have run into somebody during the time she had been stuck there. Why was it just the two of them? The only similarities between them that Mikoto could see were that they were both Level 5s and had both been involved in the Sisters Project. Her forehead crinkled with disgust at that thought. She hated the mere fact that she could be grouped with somebody like him.

Perhaps "God" was punishing them both for the unnatural creation and massacre of the Sisters. Perhaps they had both died already and this was some personalised version of "Hell" for both of them.

Unable to help herself, Mikoto sniggered softly at the random ideas. She hardly even believed in the existence of a God; not many in Academy City did. It was amazing what kind of illogical conclusions you could draw in the face of desperate situations.

_'Although… this desperate situation is illogical in itself…'_

Mikoto immediately sobered up at the thought, the silent breeze that brushed against her arm leaving uncomfortable goose bumps along its trail. She continued to follow down the perfectly aligned street, her eyes still roaming around nervously for any signs of movement even as her mind wandered - a multitasking habit she had perfected over the past three days.

It was no use speculating on something that hardly left any answers. Instead, she had to focus on her present survival and gather what clues she could find. Fortunately, it wasn't too difficult to find the necessities even in this supposedly empty place. District 17 was a highly organised industrial section, full of self-automated agricultural buildings and factories that produced various goods for Academy City. Strangely enough, these specialised machines appeared to be fully functioning, even though nobody was apparently around to look after them. The small retail shops scattered around the district that Mikoto had peered into had always been stocked full of goods so far, but not a single shopkeeper had been in sight.

Mikoto's head turned to her left and her eyes fell upon a sign in the distance, its white lettering standing out starkly against the black background.

"Azarel - Quick Stop Clothing Retail"

She stopped, glancing down at her tattered uniform. She noticed how terribly worn her school skirt, blouse and jumper were, pieces of thread hanging off where they were frayed and torn from the rough treatment she had received from Accelerator. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to obtain something new for her to wear.

Besides, a change of clothing could act as a semi-disguise and might even give her some degree of advantage if she were to face Accelerator again. It was good to be prepared for anything, especially with all the uncertain factors involved.

Her feet moved with renewed strength, determined eyes set on the shop ahead.

XXXXXXX

_'Perfect! I'll take this one.'_

Mikoto held up a shirt, a genuine, bright grin pulling up her rosy cheeks for the first time in weeks. The navy blue clothing had a large picture of a pale purple bunny on the front, one of its blue eyes squeezed into a cute wink. It held out one of its paws in a victory sign, and Mikoto thought its smiling face couldn't be any more adorable.

_'Waaahhh~ It's so cute!'_

The shop surprisingly had a lot of goods, considering it was only supposed to be a small retailer for the tiny minority of the city's population who lived in District 17. For the past hour, Mikoto had found herself completely immersed in trying out various clothing. It was difficult not to enjoy yourself when there was nobody to judge you of your tastes; it was a rare chance. She could try on anything she wanted, without having to worry about what other people would think. Nobody was around to see her rejoicing over the cute animal characters she so loved, and she took this opportunity to fully enjoy every moment of it.

An eyebrow twitched when the familiar, exasperated voice of her junior rang in her mind.

_'Onee-sama! You really need to abandon your childish tastes! It's a disgrace to your title as the Ace of Tokiwadai..!'_

Mikoto sighed, the grin fading as her shoulders drooped. A sudden pang of isolation pierced through her chest. Despite the peace from her junior's usual scoldings, she realised how much she really missed Kuroko and her other friends.

_'I wonder what they are doing right now… Do they even know I'm missing…? Or are they all in the same situation as I am?'_

She took a pair of black denim shorts, a white singlet top and a pair of comfortable running shoes she had chosen earlier, and stepped into the changing rooms. Although nobody was about, Mikoto didn't want to take any chances getting changed out in the open, especially not when she knew Accelerator could be roaming about nearby.

Standing in front of a tall mirror, Mikoto checked out her new outfit with a satisfied nod. She eyed the blue and purple bruises lining her neck with distaste, and hoped in spite that Accelerator was dealing with the same kind of pain. With a grimace, the girl neatly folded and piled up her battered Tokiwadai uniform together, hesitating when she came to the skirt. A hand fished out some metal coins from the skirt's side pocket, and held them out in front of her, staring with contemplative eyes.

Only three coins.

She had purposefully understocked that day, believing she would not need them during her final showdown with Accelerator. Now she almost wished she had brought more, even though they were of no use without her powers. The metallic coins clanged together harmoniously as she dumped them quickly into her shorts pocket. Although she couldn't use them anymore, just having them there made her feel better.

Mikoto bundled up her old Tokiwadai clothes and school shoes, hiding them in the corner of the shop behind some empty cardboard boxes. She did not want to leave an obvious trail of her presence behind. It was a precautionary act, just in case.

_'Gekota!'_

Her eyes grew as wide as saucers when they caught sight of a dark blue cap upon a mannequin in the corner. Upon its front surface was the face of a smiling green frog - Mikoto's favourite mascot of all time. Without a second thought, she lunged for it, her eyes sparkling like fireworks in joy. Grabbing a black hair elastic from the nearby displays, Mikoto quickly swept her hair into a high ponytail and fixed the cap on her head. She glanced into the mirror again, grinning to herself with hands on hips. Now, she was more than satisfied, and definitely ready for investigation round two.

Mikoto suddenly spun around on her heel, her mind shooting to high alert. Narrowed eyes scanned the streets through the glass window as she ducked into a defensive crouch. Something had moved on the edge of the mirror she had been looking into, reflecting the outside through the transparent glass wall. She stood frozen as the seconds ticked by, eyes quickly darting to the sides in the absolute silence. The streets were completely empty, just as she had left it when she had entered the shop.

Cold sweat dripped down her back.

_What was it?_

Mikoto relaxed, lengthening her spine to stand tall. She shook her head. Maybe she was just being paranoid again. It was probably only her imagination overworking. Whatever it was, she couldn't let it get to her.

 _'It might be Accelerator trying to put me on edge,'_ she considered carefully. Her trembling hands clenched tightly into fists by her sides. The girl wasn't sure what she would do if she saw him again. The boundary between her anger and fears was too fragile, and the balance of her morality swung like a crazy pendulum. Ever since she had let him go, the ultimate question full of doubts and semi-regrets had been throbbing in her head restlessly - was it justice to kill him after all?

Squaring up her shoulders, Mikoto pushed the question away to the back of her mind as she had done about a thousand times already. In the end, she had nothing to be afraid of. While they were stuck in the same confounding situation of lacking esper abilities, Accelerator had proven himself weaker than her during their last encounter. Perhaps his reliance on his powers had been greater, a backfire of being the stronger Level 5.

A confident grin filled with her usual pride slipped back in place.

The only thing Mikoto had to do was take advantage of that and tackle each situation as it arrived. After all, she wasn't called the Ace of Tokiwadai because of her abilities alone.

_'Okay, time to find more clues!'_

Re-strengthening her resolve, she stepped out of the shop with steely eyes.

XXXXXXX

A stray strand of wind whipped by, and the pale silhouette flinched visibly. He was shadowing his eyes with his hands, jaws clenched against the needles of sunray piercing his vulnerable skin. A large, casual backpack was slung over his shoulder, bulging with the valuables he had obtained while rummaging around the district for the past three days. Their combined weight burdened his muscles, but he forced himself to bear it; they would surely come in handy later.

Right now though, he could only rely on his senses.

Accelerator stood on top of the tall building, looking out over the area with an expression that was a puzzle of pain, delight and serious contemplation. He had spent the entire morning climbing up the flights of stairs leading to the attic, wanting to gain a wider view of District 17. It had been a torturous task for the skinny boy, and he had cursed himself many times along the way. However, his patience was proving to be worth it.

He was overlooking approximately half of the district, its maze of streets stretched out before him like a solution to a conundrum. His predictions had been correct. This strange place definitely had the full layout of Academy City. To his left, he could see District 20, its characteristic sports fields allowing him to confirm its territory even from such a huge distance. Although a taller building blocked his right side, Accelerator knew that direction would eventually lead to District 21. Straight ahead, District 9 stretched out before him. His red eyes scanned onwards further, zoning on what he was really interested in.

District 7.

Right at the centre of it was a gleaming white building, reflecting the sun's rays and shining like a tiny pearl in the far distance.

He felt the invisible presence lingering behind him again, but he ignored it, knowing by experience that it was pointless to turn around. It was the only way to keep his sanity intact.

Accelerator smirked against the beating sunlight, his blood-coloured eyes squinting between his long, pale fingers.

He had everything ready.

There was just one more thing to collect before setting out towards his goal.

XXXXXXX

The late afternoon sunlight artfully sprayed strands of reddish light on the white asphalt, drawing copper-hued lines upon it. Mikoto stood among them, her shadow darkening the red glow as her skin became tinted by stripes of dark orange. On either side of her were rows of windowless buildings - self-automated factories and industrial workshops that she had spent the last two hours exploring without finding anything particularly useful. Her attention was now held elsewhere. Looking up at the painted words on a wall ahead with a frown, her stomach growled as she read: "Fresh Burgers- Open 24 Hours!"

She suddenly realised how absolutely starving she was. She wasn't sure when she last had a proper meal. With her anxious mind constantly worrying about the horrific experiments since she had discovered their occurrence, Mikoto had often forgotten to eat for days. When she did remember, she could only manage a few nibbles, her churning stomach unable to handle anything more. This was also true of the past three days she had been stuck in District 17; Mikoto had snacked upon a few muesli bars she had looted from a convenience store. Other than that, she had been too busy exploring and seeking an escape to even consider eating properly.

Now though, it was a different story. After all this time, nothing had happened and there was no point in rushing on with the investigation. She was certain that if the other shops had been fully stocked, this one would be packed with what it was advertising.

 _'I seriously need to recharge my strength,'_ Mikoto thought, eyes locked hungrily on the sign, _'Nothing's happened yet, but I don't know when I'll need it…'_

A few minutes later found Mikoto peering through the glass door of the food shop. The lights were turned on brightly in a welcoming gesture, the small tables freshly clean and set for meals.

Pushing the door open, the girl stepped inside.

"Hello?" she called out, although she already knew there would be no answer.

On the far side of the shop was a counter. Beyond it was a rotating bar that presented an endless row of neatly wrapped burgers. Each had a small paper tag with a label attached to it, dictating what kind of burger it was. Mikoto glanced at each of the typed labels passing by with interest, marvelling at the wide variety offered. Academy City was indeed a place of experimentation, and this was true even with food.

_Fried prawn and anchovy; Triple cheese garlic; Fruity mix; Prune & carrot mash beef; Tomato double ham…_

The list was really endless.

Mikoto leaned forward over the counter, wanting a closer look at the machinery that so diligently worked the rotating bar without any aid. The other half of the large spinning oval was covered by complex metal parts that prevented Mikoto from seeing the inner workings of the machine, but she could deduce from the network of metal pipes connected from above that the burgers were being constantly replaced by newly wrapped ones. Perhaps they were even releasing new varieties every so often.

Grinning, the girl leaned in further over the counter and grabbed a wrapped package without hesitation.

"Roasted Vege-Chicken burger" the label read. It sounded like it was one of the more "normal" varieties.

Uncaringly, Mikoto sat down at a nearby table, automatically crossing her legs in a manner fit for a Tokiwadai lady as she hastily unwrapped the food. Her stomach clenched at the mouth-watering aroma, at the sight of fresh vegetables and the large slice of roasted chicken elegantly pressed in between two bread-rolls.

She took a large bite in a hurry, sending her taste buds into bliss. The burger was perfectly made; it had just the right amount of mayo sauce, and the beautifully cooked meat was delicately balanced by the crunch of lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and beetroot. Unable to hold back her hunger any longer, Mikoto continued to gulp everything down at top speed.

With only a few bites left, her eating speed began to slow. Her stomach felt satisfyingly full for the first time in a long while. Chewing thoughtfully, she glanced around, her scrutinising eyes sweeping over the spotless walls, furniture and floor for any further clues she might be able to gather.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. At least, not by the current standards of the situation.

Mikoto popped the final leftover piece of the burger in her mouth as she leaned back on the chair she was sitting on, shoulders drooping lazily. The smooth texture of the chicken along with the crunching of vegetables between her jaws soothed her in a weird way. She swallowed the last mouthful and stood up, taking the burger wrapping between her fingers. Even though there was nobody around, Mikoto didn't want to make a mess. Apart from being the good citizen she believed she was, she again, didn't want to leave an obvious trail around if it could be helped. Just in case.

As she was about to toss the wrapping into the trash bin, small printed words on the corner of the thin paper caught her attention. Eyebrows knitting together into a small frown, Mikoto flattened the scrunched up wrapping between her hands, her pupils trailing along the tiny letters.

_"Produce of Academy City, Districts 4 & 17\. Product Contents: 484-engineered yeast3B2, space carrots, genetically improved lettuce#3, genetically modified tomatoes#32…"_

It was all nonsensical information really, of no consequence or help to her. The words soon began to ramble on about the top quality produce of Academy City, their tone noticeably becoming more patriotic. Mikoto's eyes continued along their trail, forced to read to the end just because of the growing curiosity.

_"…used cloned chickens, genetically perfected by top science and created to fulfil our customers' high expectations..."_

Mikoto's eyes grew wide.

_"We are artificial bodies with artificial hearts…"_

_"At the cost of 180,000 yen each…"_

_"We are nothing more than laboratory animals…"_

_"For experimentation…"_

Mikoto clutched her forehead with a hand, jaws grinding together at the loud echoing voices. Why was she so shocked? They were cloning humans to be butchered. Why wouldn't they be cloning animals for food?

_A crimson fountain erupted as an arm was torn away…_

_…the opposite leg following suit, ripped away violently…_

_"Misaka was born for this purpose…"_

Her pupils dilated, and her hands furiously began ripping the wrapping into shreds. She tore through the disgusting sentences describing the cloning process apart until they were little more than insignificant flecks of dust, and threw them angrily into the bin.

_…the splintered end of a white femur…_

_…spurting the deep red liquid from its surrounding mess of mangled muscles…_

_"It's like they were born just to be killed by me!"_

The room was suddenly too small, the stale air stifling.

She had to get out.

_…a terrible scream, wrenched from the girl's throat…_

_…she gurgled, widened brown eyes staring…_

_"They are just a bunch of dolls for me to break, you have a problem with that?"_

Mikoto ran in a daze, hardly realising her feet had taken her outside. It was still too claustrophobic, her deflated lungs refusing to take in any air. The terrible churning of her stomach made her hunch over, and she swayed sideways dangerously, collapsing against a metal fence with a thud.

_…tossed away like a ragged doll…_

"… _created to fulfil our customer's high expectations..."_

The world was spinning. She slid down, falling onto her knees as she desperately hugged herself. A sickening sensation rose up to her throat and she felt as if she was choking.

_…the weirdly-angled neck…_

"… _created to fulfil our customer's high expectations..."_

Cringing forward, her fingernails clawed at the concrete ground. A couple broke with a snap, leaving thin trails of crimson liquid, but she never even noticed this pain. The unmistakable feeling of overwhelming anger and desperation bubbled, threatening to explode out of her.

_…a pool of dark red spread rapidly…_

_"…created to fulfil—"_

Mikoto threw up suddenly, expelling out everything she had just consumed. She retched again and again until she could expel no more, although her sick stomach continued to twist madly as if throwing a tantrum. Long after the vomiting stopped, she remained in that position – her weak legs folded beneath her body, the Gekota cap upon her drooped head darkening her pained expression, and her tightly-clenched, bruised fists grinding against the rough concrete surface. A thin sheet of sweat covered her like second skin, making the panting girl shiver with each small breeze that coldly brushed past.

She felt completely exhausted.

And yet, the rage was still there, crackling recklessly within her and begging to be let loose. This place was a curse… No, the entire Academy City was a curse. The place she had called home with pride, and had protected with all her might for years… Had only betrayed her in return.

She slowly stood up, her fingers curling around the thin cylindrical bars of the fence into a death grip. She felt the need to destroy something, to wreck and hurt those who had taken advantage of her weaknesses and had stripped her of her innocence. She could destroy the entire city in her rage, and nothing and nobody would be able to stop her. This city was a living nightmare for everyone whom it could exploit.

_'I'll burn it to the ground! Turn everything into ashes! Destroy it all!'_

But the electricity never came forth.

Mikoto shuddered and shook against the imploding anger that raged to be released through her powers. Her heavy head ached horribly and she felt as if her burning brain was going to blow up. Every nerve in her body was screaming for release, every cell bloated with excess energy that had nowhere to escape. The steel bars in her fists began to bend from the sheer force she was punishing them with, but the electromaster hardly noticed.

_'Why? Why? Why?! Why?! Why?!'_

The word replayed over and over without any answers, growing desperate with each second ticking by.

"Hello? Are you okay?"

Something lightly brushed against Mikoto's shoulder. She immediately jerked around, an angry growl pulling her lips apart to reveal tightly gritted teeth. Her hand found the front of their clothing, and she roughly grabbed the fabric and pinned them against the fence. The person let out a pained yelp, but Mikoto did not care, her anguished eyes rounding on the being that had dared to come close to her. Her vision was blurry and she couldn't see clearly, but it didn't matter.

She had found the one responsible at last. The one responsible for all of these nightmares.

The prey in her iron grip struggled.

"Please let me go! Please let me go! I swear I didn't mean to startle you! Please!"

The panicky, high-pitched voice threw Mikoto off her progressive trail of rage, confusing her. The uncontrollable demonic fire that had been rapidly spreading within her abruptly died out, and she hesitated. She blinked slowly, and the foggy blurriness gradually cleared from her vision.

The figure before her swam into view properly, and it took Mikoto a few seconds to fully register what she was really seeing.

Pinned between the fence and her fierce grasp was a young girl, staring back at her with terrified golden eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Minutes slowed to an eternity between them, the shocked brown eyes unable to look away from the frightened gold. Mikoto couldn't think, couldn't move. Nothing came into mind except for the oddly disembodying feeling of pure astonishment. Unless she was actually dreaming, there was really another person there in front of her. After three days of no contact with a living being, this seemed too good to be true.

"Please don't hurt me! Let me go!"

Brown eyes widened as Mikoto suddenly realised that the panicking and struggling person before her was pinned against the metal fence. Her eyes travelled down to see a hand brutally pushing against the girl's chest, crushing it.

It was her own.

With a jolt, she realised that the placing was rather inappropriate. A brilliant crimson flush quickly spread from her cheeks down to her neck, and Mikoto jerked her hand away and cradled it as if burnt. The freed girl slid down the fence into a crouch, gingerly rubbing the area Mikoto had surely bruised in soothing motions. She sniffed miserably, and the corners of her eyes filled with unshed tears.

Mikoto averted her gaze, stuttering frantically in embarrassment.

"I- I- I'm sorry! I- I didn't mean to touch… I mean… I was just… I thought you were…"

Floundering over words of apology, Mikoto's stammers became a string of incoherent mumbles.

The golden-eyed girl stood up, carefully brushing down her long navy skirt that reached to her knees. Her nose scrunched up into another delicate sniff and she pushed up her round glasses to rub her eyes with the back of her hands. She peered at Mikoto cautiously. The teenager's face was turned away, her expression shadowed by the protruding bill of her cap. She was still mumbling something frantically.

The girl leaned forward towards Mikoto with a questioning tilt of her head.

"Are you okay?"

Mikoto flinched away in surprise; the girl's voice had been too close to her sensitive ear. Her posture shot up and she took a step back, waving her hands energetically as she quickly shouted,

"No! Yes! I mean _yes_! I'm fine!"

Realising she was sounding like a complete idiot, Mikoto snapped her mouth shut, the corners of her lips pulled downwards as her eyebrows twitched. Her entire face was now the colour of a ripe beetroot and she could feel the intense heat of her own embarrassment radiating off her skin.

"Uh…"

The girl stared at her with question-filled eyes and Mikoto blinked, observing the other person properly for the first time.

She had long dark brown hair that reached down to her lower back. A portion of it was tied off to her left side with a blue bauble hair band Mikoto personally found endearing. Large glasses sheltering round lenses were worn over her striking golden eyes, but they didn't seem to sit very well on the girl's nose at all. They continued to slide down the length of her nose as if they were perched upon slippery ice, forcing their owner to make the effort of pushing them back up from time to time. She was wearing a navy blue school uniform, and Mikoto found the emblem etched upon the blazer quite familiar, although the name kept slipping from her grasp. A striking red tie sat nestled below the pristine white collar of her blouse.

 _'This girl must be in high school_ ,' Mikoto decided. She eyed the fabric of the blouse straining against the girl's voluptuous chest with envy.

Seconds of silence passed and Mikoto hurriedly averted her gaze again, the flames of embarrassment renewed.

"You're crying," the girl suddenly said in a small voice.

"Eh?" Mikoto whipped up her head in surprise, unsure of what the girl was trying to say.

"You're crying," she patiently repeated.

"?"

Her trembling hand rose up as if it had a mind of its own and lightly brushed her cheek. Mikoto felt the wetness on her skin, the trail of watery pearls that had leaked from her eyes. She gazed blankly at the fingertips, shining from the residue of tears she hadn't even realised she was shedding.

"Why were you crying?" The girl asked quietly.

Mikoto recoiled away as if being accused. The fingers curled into her palms, crushing the slippery remnants of her weakness dry.

"I was _not_!" Mikoto denied between grinded jaws.

The careful golden eyes peered at her, looking confused and doleful. Mikoto hurriedly looked away, erasing the last traces of her tears on her cheeks with a quick swipe of her arm. The very last thing she wanted right now was pity from a stranger.

"Who the heck are you anyway?!"

The question came out more roughly than Mikoto had intended. Immediately she felt ashamed, but she quickly put a lid on the feeling with suspicion.

' _I shouldn't trust so quickly_ ,' she reasoned her own harshness, _'it's weird that she suddenly appeared out of nowhere and I know nothing about her!'_

The long-haired girl blinked. Then, like golden rays of sunshine peeping out from the clouds, her lips pulled into a wide genuine smile that sent Mikoto into pure bewilderment.

"I'm Hyouka!" She cried enthusiastically. "Kazakiri Hyouka!"

"… …"

Mikoto stared at her with a gaping mouth, unsure what to make of the unpredicted turn of events. The girl before her was positively beaming, the sorrow in her eyes now entirely replaced by blindingly bright joy. She jumped forward and grabbed Mikoto's hands, squeezing them affectionately in her palms.

Mikoto's neck flared red once more, her body freezing at the unexpected contact.

"I'm so happy!" The girl exclaimed. "Can you really see me? But of course you can! You're even holding my hand! Waaaah~ I'm so happy! I'm so happy!"

Her golden eyes were glistening with tears. Mikoto felt a surge of discomfort at the open display of emotion from this strange girl she had only just met. She had mind to viciously pull her grasped hands away, but the absolute joy on Hyouka's face dampened her will to do so.

"So what's your name?"

"…"

Realising she was staring quite dumbly at the bewildering girl, Mikoto restarted her frozen brain cells to allow her mouth to function.

"Misaka… Mikoto," She managed to choke out.

"Misaka Mikoto?! Mikoto, Mikoto, Mikoto! I can call you that, right?!" Hyouka cried happily. The portion of her hair that was tied off to the side bounced up and down with her enthusiasm. Mikoto didn't need her ability to visualise the sparks of excitement charged around the girl.

"Jeez… That's so forward…" The electromaster lamented under her breath.

"Oh." The pair of golden eyes grew abruptly large and sad behind their glasses. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean…"

A torrent of guilt somehow flooded Mikoto again, but this time, she had no excuses to cover it. "It- it's fine," she found herself saying before she could think over it properly. "You can call me whatever you want."

The girl's happy state immediately returned.

"Really? Really?! I'm so happy, Mikoto! You can call me Hyouka!"

"Honestly…" Mikoto sighed. Was this girl for real?

"Hmm?" The clueless Hyouka tilted her head.

"…Can I have my hands back now?" Mikoto's left eye twitched in mild annoyance, the pink flush of her cheeks still visible.

"Oh…" It was the other girl's turn to go red. "Sorry..."

Smiling shyly, the Hyouka released her hands. An awkward silence ensued between them, neither girl quite meeting the eyes of the other.

Mikoto rubbed the back of her neck with a palm, unsure of what to do or say. Her knotted stomach still felt unsettled and she felt weak and sickly. Her throbbing head was definitely not helping. She wished she could just lie down somewhere and shut everything out. It was the worst possible timing to meet somebody like _her_.

Still, this wasn't a chance Mikoto could just let slide. It was an opportunity to receive some answers she had been desperately searching for, and perhaps even find new leads. She juggled her weight between both feet, wondering how to break the awkward silence that had stubbornly persisted for the last minute.

"So…" Mikoto finally spoke, "how old are you anyway?"

Her brown eyes mindlessly fixed themselves upon the two even mountains rising from the girl's chest once more.

"You're in high school, right?"

Hyouka, who had eagerly perked up when Mikoto had spoken again, looked very puzzled by the question.

"High… school?"

"Yeah, you've _got_ to be in high school!" The words were fierce, ringing with the will for them to be true.

The pair of round glasses slid down the length of her nose as Hyouka blinked. Mikoto stared back at her with knitted, trembling eyebrows.

"Why?"

A crimson heat rapidly spread across Mikoto's face. She could almost feel the hot steam pouring out from her own ears, enough to engine a generator for a week.

"B-b-because..!" She spluttered, "Y-you… They're... You just HAVE TO BE!"

Hyouka's lips broke into a dazzling smile as she giggled.

"But Mikoto, I'm ten years old!"

Mikoto folded her arms across her chest, nodding in satisfaction.

"Hmph, I knew it!"

Then it finally hit her.

"Wait, WHAAAAAAAAAT?!"

XXXXXXX

"Are you sure you're okay, Mikoto?"

They had moved to a nearby area, and were now sitting on a long wooden bench underneath a street lamp. The afternoon sky was gradually darkening, the large reddening sun preparing the sky for its nightly slumber. Soft patches of dark orange tinted the girls' hair and skin as they sat side-by-side with a carefully calculated space separating them.

"I said I'm fine already!" Mikoto grumbled. She leaned back with a sigh, resting her still-throbbing head against the curved back of the seat as her legs slid forward carelessly. She closed her eyes for a moment, massaging her sore temples. After some insistent pestering on Hyouka's part, Mikoto had relented to the other girl's advice that she sit down somewhere because Mikoto looked red, like she had a fever.

 _'If only it was that simple…'_ the electromaster mourned inside.

She had to admit though; she did feel much better after sitting down. Her tired legs were no longer trembling from the simple effort of keeping herself upright, and her stomach ceased to feel like it was on a spinning rollercoaster out of control. Healthier colours now replaced most her previous pallor, although Mikoto was hardly aware of this. She only wished she could think more clearly, so she could decide on what to ask Hyouka first. Her mind felt sluggish, weighed down by the persistent pounding of her head. Too many questions swam about in muddy clutters, shattering to senseless words with each drumbeat resounding in her brain. If she still had her ability, Mikoto doubted she would be able to produce a single spark in this state. She shook her heavy head, trying to clear her thoughts of unnecessary ramblings.

_'Where do I even begin?'_

She had no desire to talk about her Sisters, or about Accelerator. Besides that, Mikoto wasn't sure if Hyouka would even believe her story if she told her.

_'She's doesn't seem to be bothered by this place at all…'_

Mikoto snuck a sideways glance at the other girl. Hyouka sat with hands neatly folded on her lap, gazing out at the view of the park calmly. How serene and peaceful she seemed suddenly dawned on her, and Mikoto had an instinctive feeling that this girl could never do any harm to anybody. She was one of those people, who were so innocent to the point of ignorance, that they could not be touched by the grime of the world.

Her throat tightened, and a strange feeling of regret welled in her chest.

"I…"

The word tumbled out without her permission. Hyouka turned to her expectantly, the questioning glow of her golden eyes darkened by the falling sun.

Suddenly aware of her parched throat and dried lips, Mikoto's mouth closed and pursed, the personal pronoun still hanging heavily in the air, ready to receive verdict. Her shoulders tensed with uncertainty, pondering the burdening weight of the word that had slipped out of its own accord. Then she met the gaze of the still-questioning golden orbs, and her brown eyes softened in realisation. There was but only one thing to say.

"I'm sorry," she said simply.

Hyouka's eyebrows shot up, her head tilting in a gesture of confusion. She opened her mouth, perhaps to question, but Mikoto continued to speak.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. The words came in a flow, a stream of genuine sincerity. "I didn't mean to hurt you earlier. I thought you were somebody else…" Mikoto trailed off, pausing. She wondered if that was the only reason why she was apologising. Perhaps she was also pre-redeeming herself for what she knew she had to do.

Taking a deep breath, she quickly resumed.

"I am looking for some answers, and I think you may have them. I know I hurt you before, but we're f- friends now, right?"

Hyouka's eyes immediately brightened.

"Of course we are!" She nodded eagerly with the biggest happy smile Mikoto had ever seen. "I've never had a friend before! You're my first friend!"

Mikoto gave Hyouka a questioning glance, briefly wondering what the strange girl meant, but she had more pressing matters to discuss than ask about her social life. She cleared her throat awkwardly.

"R-right. So… Will you help me?"

"Of course!"

The response was just as Mikoto expected – immediate, and with a whole-hearted acceptance of responsibility and willingness to truly be useful. A whispering wash of shame burned through her frame, at the memory of lashing out so recklessly earlier and mildly taking advantage of the girl's trust now. But she had a job to do if she was to survive this place that had Accelerator roaming about, and no stupid feeling was going to get in her way.

Hyouka looked very worried all of a sudden, and a small frown formed on her forehead, gently wrinkling her fair skin. Overly large glasses slid down the length of her nose, and the girl sniffed, pushing them back up with an elegant finger.

"Well… I've never actually helped anybody before, so I might not be good at it… But I can try… For my first friend." The frown smoothed out into a genuinely wide smile at the blink of an eye. "So how could I help you, Mikoto?"

Mikoto did not speak right away, and the golden-eyed girl waited patiently. In the self-created silence, Mikoto gave herself time to think, to reorder her cluttered thoughts so she could formulate the best sequence of questions. There was no reason to tell Hyouka everything, or give her the suspicion that she was in such a crisis. It was just not necessary, and the last thing she really wanted was a tag-along who was way too over-enthusiastic. She already had enough problems thrown on her plate.

 _'Besides,'_ Apathetic brown eyes glanced sideways at Hyouka's lingering smile of innocence, _'She would probably believe anything I say now…'_

"Say, Hyouka," Mikoto suddenly said. Hyouka sat up straighter, her attention solely focused on the electromaster. "Have you always lived in Academy city?"

Hyouka nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, as long as I can remember."

"I see…" Mikoto's lips curled into a slight smile that did not reach her eyes. "So then, which school do you go to?"

"Kirigaoka Girls' Academy," came the immediate reply.

 _'Kirigaoka's?'_ Mikoto frowned. She had definitely heard of the school, so there was no questioning that it existed. From what she knew, it was dedicated to raising students with rare abilities. Mikoto had read some interesting research papers from the teachers who taught there. Many of them had been about controversial topics, such as the unconventional Animal Intelligence Esper theory by Isoshio, and the Imaginary Number District investigation. The latter topic had been so bizarre that Mikoto had only vaguely skimmed over the articles.

Needless to say, many queer characters attended that school.

 _'But that's not the point,'_ Mikoto corrected her side-tracking thoughts. _'This probably means she has a rare ability…'_

Suspicion rattled her mind once more. If Hyouka had a rare ability, it implied every possibility that she was behind this mess. Or at least, being used to create the strange situation. With Academy City being the way it was, this girl being used in such a manner was definitely not an impossibility, but if that was the case, she was still not much closer to determining the exact culprit. Was it one of the people from Kirigaoka Girl's Academy? Perhaps one of the teachers? No doubt such an elite school would be harbouring its share of greedy and ambitious scientists, seeking to achieve their own personal goals without recognising the consequences or the casualties. Trapping two Level Fives using a rare ability user as the medium for some twisted experiment didn't sound so farfetched any longer in this context. But then, just what was Hyouka's ability? And what would be the purpose of such an experiment? There was no point in wasting resources on research that had every potential to be useless in the end; any good scientist would know that. Why go into all that trouble?

"What's wrong, Mikoto?"

Abruptly pulled out of her spinning thoughts, Mikoto glanced back at Hyouka's worried expression. Her doubts and suspicions were still fluctuating, unable to make up her mind. Was this girl such a good actor, or was she truly the clueless victim here, used for someone else's gain?

 _'That's right'_ , Mikoto told herself, _'I already decided I was going to trust her for now.'_

She shook her head with a small smile in response to the waiting girl's worried query.

"Mmm~ It's nothing."

She glanced up at the darkening sky scattered with drifting clouds, hardly even seeing them. There was something else from her memory about the school that was greatly bothering her, among all the questions that demanded to be answered. When Mikoto had last tried to cross into the neighbouring district, there had been an impenetrable barrier preventing her…

"Your school. It's in District 18, isn't it?"

Hyouka confirmed with a quick nod of her head.

"How do you get there from here?"

The girl raised a slender finger to point in a south-easterly direction. "That way."

"No, I mean… How do you go through the districts you have to cross?"

"Yes, you have to go through District 9, and then District 7 to cross to District 18." Hyouka smiled cheerfully. "I know my way around Academy City really well, if you need help finding anything."

Mikoto shook her head, impatience getting the better of her. "That's still not what I mean. _How_? How do you go between the Districts?"

Only a confused expression stared back at her. The girl had obviously not comprehended the question asked.

"… …You walk there?" Hyouka eventually suggested.

Both her hands twitched and Mikoto resisted the urge to rip out her hair with them. She took a deep breath in, trying to put a lid on her building frustrations. It was obviously going to be difficult getting information out from the girl without explaining the situation entirely. However, her bewildered responses most likely indicated that the Karigaoka student could cross the boundaries without trouble. Mikoto's eyes narrowed; it was time to change tactics.

"Do you live around here or something? It's quite far from District 18, and I wasn't aware they had school dormitories nearby."

"Dormitories?"

Irritation sparked again at how dumb the girl was behaving.

"Yeah. Dormitories." Mikoto could not prevent dripping sarcasm upon her next words. "You know, like a home where you stay and sleep in?"

For a long moment Hyouka did not say anything. Mikoto crossed her arms, feeling the chill of the dawning night shiver against her bare skin. A lone finger tapped against the other elbow in annoyance, waiting for the answer that finally arrived just a little while later.

"I don't have a home."

A hot rippling rage, as swift as lightning itself, tore through Mikoto's body.

" _Don't FUCK_ with me!"

Before she even knew it, the Level 5 had jumped to her feet, dual orbs ablaze with sudden anger. She was already tired of the stupid answers that made no sense. She wanted the truths and the facts, and she wanted them _now_. If she had to force it out of her, she would do so. Hyouka cowered in her seat at Mikoto's abrupt display of open hostility, pitiful whimpers arising from her throat. Mikoto swiftly grabbed the girl's shoulder before she could move away. Powerful fingers squeezed around the bones and muscles, in the perfect position to cause significant amount of pain if they tightened any further. Brown eyes glared down from above, trapping the terrified girl with a fierce stare as the ominous shadow of the electromaster loomed over her.

"I don't have time for you to fool around, got that?" Mikoto hissed. "I need answers quickly, and you're going to give it to me. Now spit it out, or I _will_ force you to." Her fingers increased their pressure just slightly, enforcing a dangerous threat and eliciting a pained groan from their hostage.

"Please, I'm telling you the truth! I don't live in a- a dormitory! I- I just wander around the city and… and occasionally attend my school!"

The grip around her shoulder only tightened further, and Hyouka let out a short scream of agony.

"Please, please, you've got to believe me! I wander around because I enjoy seeing different people and different sights! I- Urgh!"

Another hand snaked its way up to her neck, lightly squeezing it. Hyouka stared wide-eyed at the unfeeling set of eyes burning down on her, ruthless and unforgiving. The person she had called a friend just a moment ago suddenly looked terrifying, and the young girl didn't like it at all. She had never felt so much terror; every cell in her body felt frozen, unable to move a muscle as the Level 5 leaned closer in a predatory manner.

"You expect me to believe that?" Mikoto whispered. The soft trickle of words tickled Hyouka's ear and she squirmed, only to stop when the grip around her neck tightened further. "Where do you go at night time, when it gets dark? Are you telling me you don't sleep?"

"I… I don't know! I don't know what sleeping means!"

A knee swung forward, brutally connecting with the girl's stomach to grind her body against the back of the bench. Bright stars of pain circled in Hyouka's vision as she spluttered for breath, and she looked up at Mikoto's hardened mask with tear-filled eyes, trying to find any hint of sympathy.

None could be found.

"Didn't I tell you not to fuck with me already? Tell me the truth!"

"I already told you!" Hyouka raised her high-pitched voice. Tears of fright began to leak from the corners of her eyes, those slippery pair of glasses already balancing on the edge of the owner's nose. Her words streamed out in quick gasps, desperate to prove her innocence.

"S- Sometimes, I suddenly find myself elsewhere in Academy City. I- I don't know how I get there, but it's just so… so confusing and I end up w-wandering around some more until I find myself at a d-different place or somewhere I recognise. I've overheard other people talking about s-sleeping, but I don't even know what that is, I- I swear!" Her lips trembled.

"Are you telling me you never get tired?!" Mikoto ground out between clenched teeth. Her tight grip on Hyouka remained unyielding.

"N- no…" Hyouka shook her head hurriedly, "I don't think I do… I- I think I'm weird that way... I never get tired or hungry or anything! I don't know… I don't really know what any of that means! I would have asked someone, but nobody ever responds to me!" She stared up at Mikoto's unchanging expression with watery eyes. "You're the first person to ever talk to me, to notice that I even exist! I've always wanted a friend… but… but it's hard to make one when n-nobody realises you are even there! People… People just walk right through me all the time. It gets so lonely…! But you… I was so happy when you were talking to me… Are- Aren't we f-friends?!"

Hyouka hiccupped as she fell silent, blubbering quietly within Mikoto's threatening grip. A long moment passed without words or movement.

"Friends, huh?"

Tormenting hands fell away with those softly spoken words, and the electromaster stepped back and away from Hyouka. The world throbbed and spun around Mikoto. An unsteady palm reached upwards to embrace her drumming forehead, eyes staring unseeingly down at the perfectly tessellating patterns of the pavement below. She felt light-headed and dizzy all of a sudden, and her feet tilted in an unstable manner to make her stumble back onto the bench.

"Mikoto… Are you okay?"

Even after she had threatened her like that, Hyouka was still looking worried beside her, concerned for her health. Mikoto's aching head fell forward, a dull side-glance staring at her in disbelief.

"You're unbelievable…"

"?"

A sigh arose from deep within her chest, letting go of the anger that had been building there.

"I'm sorry. It's just… so hard to believe what you're saying, you know? Never growing tired, eating, or sleeping? Suddenly finding yourself elsewhere without knowing how? Is it like teleportation..? It doesn't make any sense to me…" Mikoto's jaws clenched together momentarily. "Still, I shouldn't have gotten angry like that just because I was confused."

Hyouka shook her head with a small smile. "It's okay. It's my first time being a friend, so I'm probably not doing a great job either..."

Mikoto's lips curved into a sad smile of her own, staring down at her quivering hands as her shoulders slumped forward. "Honestly… You're doing better than I have ever done. I don't know how you managed to keep sane all this time, not being able to talk to anybody and feeling so alone. If I didn't have my friends, I don't know what I would have done."

The golden eyes grew wide. "Ohhh Mikoto has more friends? Can I meet them sometime? Maybe they'll be able to see me too, just like you can!"

"Sure, I'm sure they'd love to meet you too." The images of Kuroko, Ruiko and Kazari blurred before her eyes and she felt a sharp pang in her chest. "The only thing is, I'm very much lost and I need help getting back to my friends. If you can help me, I'll definitely introduce them to you."

Hyouka nodded eagerly, and Mikoto leaned back against the bench.

"There is no one about now… You said you saw people. Where are they?"

"Sometimes, I would be standing alone… and then suddenly I would find myself in the middle of a large crowd. To me, there is the Academy City with lots of people and activities to see, and then there is the Academy City with nobody, which is here."

"I see…" Mikoto sighed. It sounded like something out a sci-fi movie, and resounded in sync with the parallel universe concept. After all the nonsense Hyouka had been sprouting, she doubted anything from that girl's mouth could further surprise her. The Academy City with lots of people probably referred to the real Academy City where her friends were, which meant that this… might be some kind of…

"… Alternate dimension?"

"Hmm?"

The words "Imaginary Number District" from that essay she read long ago re-entered Mikoto's mind, and she felt uneasiness creep up her spine. This time, the thought could not be discarded so carelessly and stayed to haunt her.

"How do you think you move between these two Academy Cities?"

Hyouka's expression fell. "I have no idea. I just… I just find myself there."

"I wonder…" Mikoto muttered softly. There was a hint of hope sparking in her heart for the first time. "Maybe if I stick around with you…"

The lamp above them suddenly flickered to life, causing both girls to look up in surprise.

"Ah," Mikoto breathed. "It's getting dark."

"You still don't look well. You're pale."

"I'm fine…" The electromaster smiled slightly as Hyouka peered over her large glasses with concern. In reality, Mikoto felt terrible, both physically and emotionally. Her head still felt sluggish and heavy, her heart thumping away too loudly in her overheated chest. It was out of sheer willpower and pride that she had been able to keep conscious for this long. She felt horrible about hurting Hyouka twice already, and this scared her more than anything else. Like an ability going haywire, it was almost as if she was slowly losing control over her own feelings and actions to become somebody else she could not recognise. She blamed it all on this place, and she knew she had to get out fast.

The sky was dulling into a dark grey, patches of heaven slowly fading into complete darkness. Right now, Mikoto's only lead was to stay with this strange person and hope that she too, would be affected by whatever ability the girl possessed and become teleported back to the real world at some point in time. She glanced at Hyouka, wondering what she could be. Shifting dimensions, not sleeping, not eating, always wandering about with nobody realising she even existed… It was as if… she wasn't human. She looked like a normal girl, but was she a creation of science, just like her sisters?

_'And just like them… It sounds like she's been denied a normal life…'_

An invisible hand twisted a sharp knife in her heart, and Mikoto grimaced against the heavy pain. She turned her head away from Hyouka, expression shadowed by the bill of her Gekota cap. She didn't want to worry the girl any further. The wave of agony passed, and she slowly breathed out through her mouth, white steam fogging the cold air.

"I have some friends back home who are very dear to me," Mikoto said suddenly. Hyouka looked at her with round eyes, attention completely captured from the very first sentence. Mikoto tilted her head back, stretching her arms along the back of the bench as she faced the first faint twinkle of stars that were beginning to blossom in the blanket of darkening grey.

"Saten-san, Uiharu-san, Kuroko… I know I've said this already, but I don't know what I would have done had I never met them." A genuine smile slowly spread across her lips. "Fate's a funny thing, right? You never really get to decide who you meet, so they call it a blessing if you find someone whom you can care about. I know I was very lucky three times over but…" Her eyes clouded, mirroring the shades of the sky. "I'm not sure I can say the same for the others..."

Hyouka remained silent, simply waiting for her to continue. Mikoto wasn't sure why she was telling the other girl all of this, but somehow it felt right. She justified it as a gift to Hyouka, to tell her what real friendship was truly like, something she had never experienced before. But Mikoto was also semi-conscious of the fact that this act was more driven by a selfish purpose than anything else. Perhaps it was a much-needed confession, a pathetic attempt to discover comfort and self-confidence from somebody who knew next to nothing about what the world was really like. It was a way to re-validate her own existence, by pursuing pity from the invisible.

"I've caused so many problems for them, and yet they still claim they want to stay by my side. I guess we've been through alot together already. We've captured thugs together; defeated Kiyama-sensei and solved the Level Upper incident; stopped Therestina from carrying out her twisted plans… But still, do I really deserve all that my friends give me? I don't know anymore…" She answered her own question with a mutter, her head dropping forward to stare at her lap forlornly. "I have nothing to give back to my friends any longer, other than pain and hurt. With the way I am now, I…"

Her eyes abruptly widened and she slowly turned to meet Hyouka's. For a moment there, her weary mind had even forgotten the other girl's existence. Fists clenched around the hem of her denim shorts, wrinkling the cloth viciously.

"I'm sorry. Forget I said that."

A soft hand perched above her fist, clasping around it with a gentle but firm grip. Surprised brown eyes met those golden ones, shining above a bright smile that could rival the flowering stars twinkling in the skies.

"I don't really understand everything of what you've just said, so I know my words probably don't count for much. But I think you're a great person, Mikoto."

Something constricted in her throat, and Mikoto suddenly found it difficult to breathe.

"It's true I've never had a friend in the past, but I can tell. You're a great person!" Hyouka repeated those words with more conviction, and her radiant smile reflected in Mikoto's dilated pupils.

Teeth crunched together in response, lips trembling against the uncontrollable torrent of emotions.

"What are you even saying…?"

"That I'm glad! I'm so glad you're my very first friend. The world is a kind place to let me meet someone like you."

Mikoto wished more than anything that she could agree with Hyouka, to match that bright forgiving smile and stand alongside her naïve position to face everything with gratitude and fearlessness. Ignorance was indeed bliss, and because of this, the electromaster found herself jealous of Hyouka. She had nothing to say to such innocence, and she had no malicious desire to taint it any further. Secretly, the selfish part of her had hoped that some of the girl's untouchable light would cure her growing darkness, but she realised the truth now. Once that side of humanity started to crumble away, there was no way to repair it completely.

"Tch, this is making me feel sick. Found a lovebird, did you Railgun?"

A silhouette of a lanky figure arose from the shadow of a nearby tree, its voice distinctly familiar. Mikoto's thudding heart skipped a beat, toned muscles already flexing to action out of sheer reflex. Her fist slipped out of Hyouka's gentle hand, the athletic body leaping off the bench and twisting around to face the newcomer with furious eyes.

They narrowed upon those cold red ones, glinting like bloodied steel in the darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

Mikoto's fists clenched tightly, the skin over her knuckles turning white as fingernails dug furiously into the already bruised and battered palms. The pain was hardly existent however, her emotions overruled by raw anger. A fierce growl ripped from her throat, the burning hatred rising like a bloodthirsty beast from slumber.

"What are you doing here, Accelerator?!"

He stepped out of the shrouding darkness, his pale figure illuminated by the growing silver radiance of the peeking moon. A dark navy cloak was draped over his shoulders and shadowed his face. Something bulged from his back, covered by the soft material. He pushed the hood away with a slender hand to reveal a sour scowl contorting those sharp features, the shaggy white strands of hair looking luminous under the darkening sky.

"What, you're still trying to tell me what to do?"

Mikoto quickly stepped in front of Hyouka, blocking the confused girl from Accelerator's view. Every muscle was tense, defensively flexed on the ready for action. Her fists raised into a fighting stance, promising a ruthless retribution if he dared to step closer. The large purple bruises on her neck caused by Accelerator's strangulation attempt days ago suddenly ached, as if they knew their creator was nearby. It almost felt as if his hands were still upon them, caressing them in his deadly grasp. Mikoto gritted her teeth, and her eyebrows knitted together more closely.

"I hope you haven't forgotten already. I beat the crap out of you last time we met, remember? As long as we are both stripped of our abilities, I've got the upper hand here. I wouldn't get so cocky if I were you!"

The albino's scowl instantly grew darker, and the hard edges of his flaring eyes crinkled as canines flashed in fury.

Mikoto smirked, her confidence already swelling at his open display of frustration.

"Heh, you're no match for me like this at all. What was it that you said?" She tilted her head as if in deep contemplation. "Oh, that's right…" The persistent smirk slowly spread into a humourless, yet mocking grin. " _'What's with the suicide wish?_ '"

A guttural roar of rage rumbled from deep within his chest, and his blood-red eyes enlarged at the Railgun's ridiculing reflection of his past words. Jaws crunched together and grinded audibly, the albino's frame madly shaking from an impressive fury that clawed viciously at his mind.

_'How dare she?! How dare she?! HOW DARE SHE MAKE FUN OF ME?!'_

Mikoto's grin quickly faded into a frown at Accelerator's increasing agitation, and she crouched further into a defensive posture. The mere sight of his pinprick pupils told of his unstable mental state and she silently wondered if she went a step too far and crossed the forbidden line. While she was confident she could take him on in their current disposition without much trouble, she didn't want Hyouka involved. A quick glance confirmed the younger girl's wildly shivering form, eyes widened in terror at the presently occurring discord. Just seeing Accelerator working himself up into such an intense rage was probably traumatising in itself for the naïve girl. Whatever the case, Mikoto didn't want another innocent bystander getting caught up with the likes of that monster. Her fierce eyes focused back on the albino, an arm stretching out protectively before her newfound friend.

The pale figure suddenly stopped trembling, his clenched fists dropping to open by his sides. His shoulders were slumped forward, heavy strands of white hair falling with the gravity to hide his expression. Like a puppet whose strings have been detached, he stopped moving altogether and stood limply. Only the shuddering breaths ringing in the cold air indicated that he was still alive. Mikoto's eyes narrowed, pondering what was going through that twisted mind of his as she anxiously anticipated his next move.

A gurgle sounded, resonating into a chuckle and then a laugh. Mikoto looked on in perplexity as Accelerator's shoulders began to shake. This time, it was not with anger, but with pure amusement. His head tilted to face the dawning night sky, pale lips parted wide open as his throat roared out his deranged laughter. The horrible sound grated against Mikoto's ears as the widened crimson eyes shone madly with glee.

"Ahahahahaahah… AhahahahahaAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

It bothered Mikoto that she didn't know what the maniac found so funny. Although she hated his guts and hated the very idea of any further involvement with him, she couldn't help but wish she could have a peek into his mind. Just once, just to see what made that insane mind tick.

"Tch, what a lunatic," Mikoto complained through gritted jaws.

The laughter abruptly stopped, leaving a dead silence hanging as the last echoes of twisted merriment died away. With a thudding heart, Mikoto wondered if he had heard her as those gleaming eyes of red steel swivelled in her direction. His lanky body straightened to his full height and his long neck twisted carelessly to face her. A wide grin that elongated his pale lips remained icy upon his features, sending a cold tingle down the electromaster's spine.

"What's so funny?" She spat at him, unwilling to show how much his misplaced display of amusement had thrown her off.

He barked out another short laugh, as if she had just cracked a worthy joke. Mikoto's frown deepened; the unpredictability of his actions was starting to grit on her nerves. She glanced back momentarily to check on Hyouka's still trembling form, determined to protect her should Accelerator decide to pull a reckless attack. He seemed unstable enough to take significant risks, and there was a possibility he may do so even while knowing that Mikoto had the advantage.

"Hmm~?" He craned his neck towards them, emanating a predatory aura enhanced by the wide sadistic grin still pasted on his lips.

"Ah~ I get it," He chuckled airily, "Khkhkh, I'm not gonna waste my energy on that pathetic wench cowering behind your hide, so don't get your panties in a twist, third-rate."

Mikoto's eyes narrowed into slits. As much as her charged up fists desired to fly some punches and knock her enemy around senseless, she restrained herself for Hyouka's sake. She simply stood with barely suppressed anger, refusing to back down or relax in his presence.

He was never to be trusted.

"What do you want then?! If you're just here to blow air from your lungs, I suggest you go somewhere else. We're not interested."

In the blink of an eye, his expression darkened, the stretched out grin abruptly pulled back into a neutral position. Stormy red eyes dulled over, those deadened orbs staring at Mikoto with bone-chilling apathy.

"I wonder… Would you still say the same thing if I told you something interesting about this place?"

"What was that?!"

"…"

Teeth gritted as her impatience edged on the verge of explosion. "Stop messing around and tell me what you know!"

Mikoto refused to back down, viciously glaring into those intimidating emotionless eyes, dark and soulless. It felt as if she was demanding information from the devil himself. A long silence passed before those pale lips moved.

"District 7."

"What?"

"District 7. The Windowless Building." his bored gaze never left hers. "We're supposed to go there; can't you tell?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Just what I said." The cold eyes suddenly look distant, as if they could see something Mikoto could not. "It's the only way to get out of this shithole!"

The Windowless Building. Of course, Mikoto had seen it many times before, since the tall building without any windows was located within her home area of District 7. Not much information about the place was available to the general public, and she hadn't ever taken much interest in it either. She knew next to nothing about what that place was.

Cold sweat dripped from her forehead, and down to her chin.

"I don't know what you're going on about, Accelerator."

His eyes refocused, mouth drooping into a leery frown as they rounded on the electromaster.

"Then shut up and listen to me, you little fuck," he growled. "As soon as the sun rises tomorrow, I'm going to head that way. It's the only way to get out of this shitty mess."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I say so!" The albino snarled. "While you were lazing on your butt being all cosy with your lover, I actually used my eyes!"

A spark of irritation frizzled as Mikoto's cheeks flared red. "I was not! And stop calling her my lover!" She huffed, tossing back a loose lock of hair with her nose pointing to the sky. "I don't particularly care for the way you're addressing me either."

Accelerator swatted the air carelessly with a hand, his pale face smoothing into a look of utter boredom.

"Yeah, whatever, princess."

Mikoto's nose crinkled in distaste at his nonchalance, and her eyebrows knitted tightly above brown eyes full of mistrust.

"Why are you telling me this anyway?!"

"Maybe you want to spend the rest of your pretty life here in this shithole, but I'd rather not."

"Wait," Mikoto's voice lowered an octave in disbelief. "You're actually inviting me along to your excursion?"

He stared at her with those bland eyes, unbothered by the lengthy hush between them. He clucked his tongue in disapproval, drawling the next words slowly as if she was intellectually challenged.

"I've got nothing to lose, Railgun. It matters not to me whether you decide to join or not. I couldn't fucking care less."

"I don't get it." Suspicion oozed from the very way Mikoto stood to face him. "Why are you even offering?"

"I may have nothing more to lose, but that doesn't mean I don't have a brain." His thin lips twisted into a grotesque sneer. "We're in the same situation. Any dimwit would realise that it'd be better to stick together to solve this crap."

"Huh?!" Hot anger spiralled like a tornado, sweeping out in a rage as Mikoto's brows renewed their furrowing. "Why the heck should I trust what you say?!"

"I'm not asking you to trust me." Venom dripped from every word, and the white figure cloaked in darkness took a threatening step forward. "And I certainty don't trust you. Don't get the wrong idea, third-rate. I don't want you getting all lovey on me like with that wench."

Sharply glinting eyes flickered over to Hyouka and the girl whimpered loudly in fright. She tucked in closer to Mikoto, trembling arms wrapping around her torso and seeking comfort from the older girl. Mikoto's eyes rounded in surprise at the contact, but when they next met Accelerator, they were filled with renewed determination.

"Wait just a second. Are you saying you can cross to another district?"

Pale eyebrows shot up.

"Didn't I just say District 7? Did you lose your IQ as well as your ability?"

"Just spit it out already! I'm asking you a serious question here!"

"Do you fucking not have ears? I just said so, didn't I?"

"But that's impossible!" Mikoto exclaimed, her arms spreading out into a gesture of disbelief. "I already tried crossing into another district two days ago! I couldn't do it! There was some kind of barrier."

Accelerator's eyes narrowed, his lips thinning into a straight line.

"I see... So you're being watched too."

"What are you mumbling about?!"

His voice was a low growl. "There are eyes everywhere, Railgun. I suggest you be careful."

"… Are you threatening me?!"

"Tch, forget it. This is pissing me off." A slender hand gave another nonchalant wave in her direction, and Accelerator moved to turn away.

"You still haven't answered my question!" Mikoto ground out thunderously between clenched jaws. She took a step forward, intending to pursue him until she received a satisfactory answer. The cloaked figure spun around from his retreat.

"I already told you what I know." There was a dangerous edge to his tone now, bordering on growing impatience that rivalled hers. "Do you have better ideas, Railgun? Because you can rot here for all I care, but I won't let you pull me down."

"Then why?! I still don't get why you're telling me all this."

The frown on his face deepened into a fierce scowl. A set of spidery fingers combed through his white hair. "Don't try to figure me out."

"You have some ulterior motive right? Tell me why you're doing this!"

"God, you're so fucking annoying. Listen up brat, you know nothing about me and I intend it to remain that way. I'll say it once more and never again: don't try to figure me out."

Mikoto stared at the lanky figure as he turned away. Something in her mind suddenly whirred and clicked together. With that thought, the edge of her lips slowly curved upwards.

"Heh~" Her snide smile grew into a smirk. "I get it~. You're holding up the white flag because you're scared aren't you?"

"What?!" Accelerator's head whipped back towards her, fury and disbelief pushing his white eyebrows together.

"You realised I'm stronger than you without our abilities, so you want my protection or something, right?" Mikoto flashed him a toothy grin, regarding him mockingly. "Big strong Accelerator, seeking cover from the "third-rate" Misaka Mikoto, huh?"

His pupils dilated, his jaws snapping together in raw anger.

"Shut up!"

"So, what do you think is out there?" Mikoto taunted without missing a beat. "Monsters? Big scary things? Hairy insects with lots of legs?" She threw back her head and laughed, her brown eyes glinting viciously.

"Why youuuu-!"

The albino charged forward, too filled with rage to think about the possible ramifications.

"No, don't!" The loud scream that abruptly cut between them stopped Accelerator in his tracks.

Mikoto looked in astonishment at Hyouka who had suddenly flung herself in front of her with arms outstretched. Dark brown bangs shadowed over her eyes as she spoke in a trembling voice that shook with her body.

"Stop this… Please… I don't like it…"

"Huh?" Accelerator regarded her with impassive eyes, raising a fine white eyebrow.

"Don't fight!"

Hyouka raised her head, revealing tears that were on the verge of falling. Her voice hardly suppressed her fright, but the honest conviction with which she spoke was almost tangible.

"Stop fighting! I don't like it!"

A heavy silence hung between them all. Mikoto stared at Hyouka, wondering what was going through the younger girl's mind. The timid girl's sudden display of courage had been surprising in itself, never mind the way she was glaring at Accelerator while shielding Mikoto.

The albino clucked his tongue in irritation.

"Whatever, I'm tired of this crap."

He turned and began to walk away again. He waved his hand dismissively.

"If you want to survive Railgun, come to the entrance of the last retail store near the District 9 border down the road. 7am sharp, otherwise I'm leaving you to rot here. Your choice."

With those words, Accelerator vanished into the maze of buildings, his pale form consumed by darkening shadows.

"That bastard-!" Mikoto fumed, glaring after the other Level 5 and shaking an angry fist in the direction he had faded. "Coming out like that with threats and nonsense and trying to tell me what to do-!"

A loud thump made the electromaster focus her attention back on Hyouka who had suddenly slumped onto her knees. She was staring at the ground, shoulders heaving for breath. Mikoto's eyes softened as she laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Hyouka nodded slowly. "I just… I've never done that before," she said. Although she was still trembling, the girl's voice was filled with wonderment more than anything else. "Nobody has ever noticed me until today, so this is the first time I…"

She trailed off, looking down at her own hands with wide eyes.

Mikoto smiled.

"That was really cool of you, Hyouka." She offered a hand to help the younger girl stand back up.

Shining golden eyes stared up at her, awestruck wide and filled with light. "Th- that's what friends do… Right?"

"Right," Mikoto agreed.

With a big smile gracing her lips in return, Hyouka reached out to take the electromaster's hand. Mikoto felt the other girl's warmth touch her fingers briefly before it suddenly faded into the cold night air. Her widening eyes blinked in surprise, finding nothing but empty space where Hyouka had been, as if the girl had been but a figment of her imagination.

"What…"

Slowly, she lifted her face to stare upwards at the sky.

When had it become so dark? Only the single street lamp above now dimly lit the area. Having Accelerator appear suddenly like that had completely thrown off her sense of time flow.

Her jaws clenched with an audible crunch.

_'Dammit, I guess Hyouka was telling the truth.'_

Somehow, triggered by something unknown, the mysterious girl must have gone into the other dimension – the "real" world, wherever that was. Mikoto had hoped to follow by being near her, but obviously the solution wasn't going to be that simple.

_"As soon as the sun rises tomorrow, I'm going to head that way. It's the only way to get out of this shitty mess."_

Glaring at the dull moon peeping over the clouds, the electromaster thought over Accelerator's words. It frustrated her to no end that she couldn't read his line of thinking. Having an ability like Shokuhou's would have been perfect in this kind of situation, no matter how much Mikoto despised it. Only one thing was certain: Accelerator was up to something, and it couldn't be anything good.

_'What should I do?'_

She could ignore the meeting altogether, find out the secrets of this place on her own and get out by herself. Or she could play along with this farce proposed by Accelerator, and try to find out what he knew.

She nibbled on her bottom lip, considering both options.

While her pride hated to admit it, three days had already passed and she was no closer to finding any help of worth. On the other hand, Accelerator sounded like he knew something… although, that could have been a trap to lure her in. It was not her style to wait around for answers that may or may not come. Already, Mikoto was itching to move forward and charge ahead to discover the truth elsewhere, just as the albino had suggested. However, there was simply no way they could work together - there was too much foul history between them, too many negative feelings.

_'But… If I can outsmart him…'_

If she could think ahead and take advantage of the situation, there might be something to gain from the other Level 5. Without their powers, Mikoto was confident she could easily subdue Accelerator in a physical confrontation. Whatever he was planning, she would shut it down with all the brutal force she possessed at the slightest hints of foul play.

She would be the stronger one, she would be more dominating.

After all, there was no way she could simply ignore an obvious challenge like this.

A smirk twisted upon her lips.

_'Bring it on, Accelerator!'_


	7. Chapter 7

"But you can't! Don't go there! Don't go Mikoto!"

With a deep sigh, Mikoto rubbed her head in annoyance.

"For the last time Hyouka, just drop it. I've made up my mind to go, okay? If you keep pestering me, I'm gonna be late."

The large glasses slid down the younger girl's nose dolefully and the corners of her mouth drooped.

Mikoto gave her a sidelong glance, eyebrows twitching in irritation as her fingers adjusted the straps of a large backpack. When she had first opened her eyes early this morning, the unexpected sight of the other girl's face staring intently down at her had nearly given her a heart attack. Somehow, Hyouka had managed to find her sleeping spot after being mysteriously teleported back to this place. Before Mikoto could even get a word out, the excitable girl was babbling about how much she had missed her and what they could do together around the city. When Mikoto told her that she was leaving with Accelerator, she had become distraught.

Now she was desperately trying to convince the Level 5 not to go.

"Just stay one more day with me? Please, Mikoto? Just one more day-"

"No," Mikoto huffed, growing more exasperated with every word, "Look, I have to go. This is my only chance!"

She swung the backpack around, fitting it snugly around her shoulders. Its contents were quite heavy, but Mikoto knew from past experience that she could manage this weight just fine.

Turning to look at Hyouka, she noticed the golden eyes welling up with unshed tears as they looked sadly at her. Mikoto grimaced to herself.

_'Why do I suddenly feel like the villain here?!'_

"I'll come with you!" Hyouka cried suddenly.

"No!" Mikoto snapped out harshly. Seeing the other girl's frightened look, she took a calming breath and continued on in a lowered voice. "Sorry Hyouka, I know you mean well, but this is something I have to do on my own. That guy you saw last night isn't any ordinary person. He's… dangerous, and I'm the only one who can deal with him right now."

Hyouka continued to stare at her.

"Look, you don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself," Mikoto assured her confidently.

The golden eyes slowly looked down, fixing upon her shoes.

"I know that…" she whispered, "I believe you. I just… Maybe this is selfish of me… But I… I wanted to spend more time with you, Mikoto!"

Mikoto's eyes grew wide at the sudden outburst.

 _'Of course,'_ she thought dazedly, _'I'm an idiot.'_

By now, it was highly evident that Hyouka was probably another creational victim of this twisted experiment, or whatever it was that was happening here. Experiencing human contact for the first time must have been a significant event for her if that was the case. Mikoto remembered her Sisters, and how they had valued themselves to be nothing more than guinea pigs. Wasn't this exactly what she had been trying to fight against?

_"Just don't forget this: we're here for you, okay? If you can't handle it yourself, just tell us whenever. That's what friends are for."_

_"You shouldn't try to do everything by yourself, Onee-sama."_

Was she the one being selfish again? Even so, there was no way she could…

Mikoto walked up to Hyouka, placing a gentle hand on her head with a regretful smile.

"Hey… We're just parting ways a short while, okay? I'm sure we'll see each other again, and then we could hang out, as friends."

"You mean it?" Hyouka's head jerked up, revealing hopeful eyes.

"Yeah, sure."

"Will you also take me to see your friends? I want to meet them and hang out with them too!"

Mikoto paused for a moment before nodding. "I promise, Hyouka."

Guilt inside her reared its ugly head. What was she doing making more promises she probably wouldn't be able to keep?

_'I really am the worst…'_

"Thank you, Mikoto!" Hyouka grabbed her into a big hug, looking overjoyed, "You're such a wonderful friend!"

"Ah~ hahaha… It's… really nothing…"

_'If you knew the whole story, would you still think the same way about me?'_

Mikoto gently pushed Hyouka aside, unable to meet her eyes. She glanced around the small room that had served as her hideout last night and turned to face the door.

"I'll be going now," she shifted her head to give a half-hearted smile at Hyouka. "Take care, okay?"

"Yes… Yes I will," Hyouka sniffed, putting on a brave face and waving to her energetically, "You take care too Mikoto! I'll see you soon with all your other friends…!"

With an agreeable nod, the electromaster turned away and quickly walked out of the building. She leaned against a wall, taking a few breaths to steady herself. The cold morning air was refreshing and somewhat cleared her head, the first rays of sunlight beginning to bloom beyond the shadows of the alleyway. Across the street, a digital clock on a hologram advertisement flashed the numbers 06:45. Determination steeling her resolve, Mikoto set off towards the promised destination.

She could only look forward from here on. There were no other options.

XXXXXXX

"You're late, third-rate," the unpleasant voice grated against her eardrums.

"I am _not_ ," Mikoto growled out the last word with emphasis, "Just because you came here early, doesn't mean I'm late."

When she had arrived at their proposed place, Accelerator was already there, dressed just as he had last night. The dark cloak still covered his lanky form, a bulging pack half-concealed upon his back. He didn't seem surprised that she had come. Rather than a greeting, all she had received were chastising words to put her on edge. Not that she had expected anything better from the likes of him of course.

"Tch, whatever you say, brat."

Mikoto stormed up to the pale figure, glaring at him with fierce eyes beneath the bill of her Gekota cap. Her index finger pointed at his chest accusingly.

"Look here bastard! If we're really gonna do this, we have to friggin' cooperate. And that means you stop with the name calling and twisted attitudes!"

"Look who's talking," Accelerator muttered. Rolling his eyes, he turned around and started heading off on his own. "Hurry up, else you're gonna be left behind."

Seething, Mikoto took off after him, grumbling fervently under her breath. She only stopped when her widening eyes were met with an unexpectedly ordinary sight. The wall of black void Mikoto had encountered along the boundary between Districts 17 and 9 four days ago was not there any longer. The way was clear, lit up by the innocent morning sun.

"What on earth…?"

"Tch, I thought so…" Accelerator spat.

Mikoto glanced at him, raising a sceptical eyebrow. "You have a theory?"

"Like you said last night, I couldn't cross either when I tried before. I bet there is some shit watching us that is controlling this place. They obviously want us to fucking stick together for some goddamn fucked up reason."

The albino's unhappy expression contorted into a massive scowl, displaying exactly what he thought about the last statement.

"Well, that sucks," Mikoto grimaced fiercely in return.

"The sentiment is mutual, Railgun."

"You don't have to say," she muttered. Accelerator ignored her, cold red eyes staring straight ahead.

With a sigh and hands on hips, Mikoto gazed into District 9 as well. There didn't seem to be anything suspicious… It was just strange seeing the streets so empty. No security robots, no people, no sound. District 9 was an area dedicated to arts and crafts, so many of the structures were aesthetically pleasing. There were also colourful holograms designed by students displayed around the streets. If this was meant to be a trap for the two of them, there were no indications.

_'Oh well, here goes nothing.'_

Mikoto moved to step forward when a sickly feeling of cold dread pierced her stomach. Suddenly, leaving District 17 felt like a terrible idea. She bent over clutching her middle, trying to stifle the horrible feeling that lurched her insides.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

She vaguely heard Accelerator's voice, jaws clenched against the hot sweat that had abruptly broken out and covered her skin. She breathed in deeply, trying to control herself. It was just a stupid feeling; it didn't mean anything… It was probably just being with Accelerator that was messing with her head… but she couldn't let him win…

"Hey, are you listening?"

"I'm fine!" Mikoto ground out through gritted teeth. Curling her palms into fists, the electromaster straightened to her full height once more. Much to her relief, the sickly feeling in her gut was already fast fading away. There was absolutely no way she was going to show any weakness in front of the other Level 5.

"Hurry up then."

"Why don't _you_ go first, if you're so keen?"

There was a hard glint in his red eyes. "You're in my way, third-rate."

"Then friggin' move and go before me, you lazy git!"

Much to her surprise, Accelerator wordlessly took a piece out of her heated advice and moved closer to stand beside her. Mikoto fought the urge to jerk away from his presence. The hot sweat on her body was cooling against the morning breeze, and the unpleasant sensation elicited a shiver.

He regarded her coldly for a moment before a lopsided smirk twisted his facial features.

"Scared, Railgun?"

"What?! No!" Mikoto turned to fully face him, her heart thudding in protest at her denial. "Why the heck would I be scared?!"

The smirk grew, splitting his pale lips into a wide grin.

"You're trembling like a little kitten~."

"I am NOT!"

"I know that look on your face," Accelerator drawled mockingly, "I've seen it more than 10,000 times, haven't I?"

A wild fire of hot rage exploded out at the casual mention of her Sisters.

"!"

A savage snarl ripped from her throat, and before she could even think, she was leaping towards the murderer. It felt like every muscle in her body was strung ready to kill. She saw the reflection of her own dilated pupils in the monster's widening eyes before she slammed into him sending them both over the edge.

The world shattered around them, breaking into tiny pieces that became consumed by darkness. The buildings, the streets, the sky and the sun… Everything twisted into grotesque shapes and fell apart like irreparable puzzle pieces. Driven by the momentum of Mikoto's sudden attack, the two Level 5's flew back and began to fall together, the ground also melting away underneath them into the void.

The air blew harshly into the electromaster's eyes as she plummeted above Accelerator, but she forced them to remain open wide. She paid no attention to the ensuing chaos around them, for she could only see _him_ … _Him_ , staring up at her with those hateful, cold eyes. But now there was fear in those crimson pools too, and Mikoto wanted to seize it, forcefully cleave out that delicious weakness for the world to see, and scorn the monster's pitiful state.

Her hands were grabbing onto the collar of his shirt, almost choking him with gravity as they dropped into the abyss below. She brought one hand back into a fist and struck him on the face, revelling in his cry of pain that quickly became swallowed up by the crackling sounds of the world shattering. Amongst the din, the shouts of her dead Sisters desiring their vengeance were the loudest in her ears. Their voices fuelled her to repeatedly strike at the object of their suffering, finding delight in his open displays of trepidation and agony. The metallic scent of blood filled her nostrils, the red-hot droplets splashing against her cheeks and boiling the fire in her veins. The intensity of her stimulated senses further fortified her rage.

_Their rage._

As she cocked back her fist for another punch, the world suddenly shifted and solidified. Accelerator hit the ground hard, loosening Mikoto's grip on his shirt and sending her spinning away. Bright stars exploded in her blackened vision as she slammed into something hard, before dropping limply onto the ground below. The ghostly voices of her Sisters fell dead silent with her cry of pain.

Rich, musky scents of wet earth and wood invaded her nose, although the iron taste of blood on her tongue remained. The flames that had surged deep within suddenly felt extinguished, replaced by simple confusion and dull pain that radiated throughout her body.

_'What… What just…?'_

Mikoto pried her heavy eyelids open, squinting against the sunlight that whitened her vision momentarily. When it faded away, her eyes widened at the sight before her.

She was lying prone on _green grass_ , her spine weighed down by her heavy backpack. Raising her head, she saw tall trees and thick bushes in the distance, spreading from the earth without any rules and forming what looked like a dense forest.

_'What the hell…? Where is this?'_

Her bruised hands pulled and ripped the grass as she struggled to sit up, aching arms supporting her weight tiredly. She found herself at the foot of a large tree, its gnarly branches expanding out high above and reaching towards the sky. Sunlight still streamed in between the flimsy leaves, brushing gently against her skin and forming irregular patterns with the shade.

Looking around, it was evident this was an open grass meadow, surrounded by thick trees that grew far beyond the rough circle they formed. The smiling Gekota on her cap pressed against her knees as Mikoto curled over and took a couple of breaths in and out, trying to think clearly and work out where she was. Her mind felt sluggish and disoriented. There was no way this was some park within District 9 – the vegetation surrounding the area were just too thick to be anything other than an actual forest.

Strengthening her resolve, the electromaster gingerly stood up, leaning against the rough bark of the tree she had probably slammed against earlier. Her gaze fell upon the pale form lying on his side just metres away. Lips thinning into a line, her feet slowly carried her towards him, stalking like a predator.

Seeing the Railgun approach, Accelerator pushed himself to sit up.

"Fuck," he cursed as he spat out a glob of blood.

Mikoto stared at him coldly, feeling an odd mixture of elation and hatred mingled with exhaustion. The hood of his cloak had been thrown off, revealing rivulets of crimson running down across most of his face and reddening the whites of his right eye. Large black bruises were already starting to form where she had repeatedly bashed him. It was strange to see the strongest of Academy City in such a sorry state, but it was very much satisfying all the same. Flecks of his blood covered her knuckles, and it still stung from the impacts it had suffered, but somehow, even that pain felt good.

Licking her dry lips, she tasted the saltiness of sweat mingled with the iron of blood upon her tongue.

"You deserved every bit of that and so much more, you son of a bitch," she spat at him.

Burning eyes full of wrath and agony glared at her, a spidery hand elegantly wiping away the red liquid blossoming around his mouth. Weighed down by the backpack on his slim shoulders, the albino stumbled onto his feet.

"You'll regret that sooner or later, Railgun," he said quietly.

Mikoto smirked with arrogance, raising her fists in response to the threat.

"Come at me anytime, Accelerator… If you want another beating that is."

Wordlessly he stared at her, the crimson eyes outlined by patches of blood brimming with promises of retribution. Then he raised the hood of his cloak and began to trudge away, heading into the forest ahead.

"Wait, where do you think you are going?!"

Mikoto followed after him, as much as she hated to do so. While they were mortal enemies, they had landed in this stupid situation together and shared the common goal of getting out.

He replied in a bored tone without bothering to look back.

"None of your business."

"What?! Do you even know where this is?!"

"No, don't have a fucking clue."

"If that's true, shouldn't we think about this first before just randomly charging into the bushes like wildebeests?!"

They were now on the verge of entering the forest, the edges marked by looming shadows of trees. Closer up, the place looked ominous, the sunlight seeming to fade away in the distance and eventually giving into complete darkness. Mikoto blinked, feeling a trickle of unease slide down the back of her mind. She had gone to field trips with her parents when she was younger of course, but that had never involved bush-bashing her way through an unknown landscape. Besides, this situation was anything but normal. What were they doing here instead of District 9, as they were supposed to be?!

"Hey, are you listening to me?!" Mikoto yelled when Accelerator didn't answer.

Annoyed by his lack of replies and cooperation, she rushed forwards to grab his arm.

"Don't fucking _touch_ me, you brat!"

He spun around at the contact, the other arm swiping out into a wide arc and forcing Mikoto to jump back in order to narrowly avoid the incoming blow. Mikoto's eyes narrowed. That one would have swept across her cheeks harshly.

Accelerator fixed her with a look that could kill.

"Don't push me, Railgun, or you really might just regret it. I'm being lenient on you right now. I may have lost my powers but I haven't lost my brain, which is obviously far superior to yours."

"Hmph," Mikoto folded her arms crossly, "is that the best insult you could come up with?"

"Whatever," He sighed, suddenly looking worn out. "Look, I don't think it matters where we go. Whoever is watching us can change the scenery to their screwed up tastes anyway. We just have to keep moving, so shut the fuck up and walk if you don't want to get lost and eaten up by some pathetic wild animal. I'm sick of hearing your stupid whining."

Mikoto indignantly opened her mouth to counter the insults, but thought better of it. There was no point wasting her energy arguing like this. She frowned as Accelerator turned away once more and began to walk deeper into the bushes. He had a point. When they had supposedly stepped into District 9, the scene had purposefully changed altogether. It was highly likely that someone was observing and controlling their environment. If that was the case, it didn't really matter where they moved to, because the enemy could adjust the field to their liking.

"Tch…" This was a bad place to be in. Just who were they and what were they planning?

Thoughts flittered across her mind like rogue spiders as Mikoto walked in silence behind the other Level 5. If this really was another experiment planned by sadistic scientists, she wanted to strangle whoever was responsible with her bare hands. She would not let them take advantage of her and get away with it.

Not again.

Her eyes flickered over to Accelerator's thin figure ahead, slightly hunched over by the weight of his luggage. Mikoto still had an uneasy feeling about following him like this, although she knew she had limited options. Despite the fact that she had beaten him up pretty badly twice already, he didn't seem as fazed as he should be… or at least, not as much as Mikoto wanted him to be. He was acting too confident for her comfort, rousing her suspicions that he had something hidden up his sleeve. She wondered what was driving him forwards, what was fuelling his self-assurance that seemed to have bloomed since last night.

She sighed, shaking her head.

_'Why do I even want to know how his twisted mind works?'_

Accelerator suddenly stopped, dropping his pack roughly on the ground and sitting against a tree.

"I'm taking a fucking break."

Mikoto watched as he took out a drink bottle from the holder of his pack, taking large gulps and rubbing some of the liquid on his bruised face to wash the dried blood away. She noticed how laboured his breathing was, and the way his eyes scrunched over in pain as shaky hands rubbed water over the wounds. Although he was hiding it quite impressively, it was obvious how unfit he was – probably a direct result of relying too much on his powers. Being the strongest had its downsides after all.

Her lips twitched into a grin.

"What are _you_ looking at?" Accelerator glared.

"Nothing~" Flashing him an insolent smirk, Mikoto also tossed her pack aside and picked another tree to rest under.

Opening her bag, she looked into it with satisfaction. Back in District 17, she had packed as much food and water as she could, along with some spare changes of clothes. She had thought they would become handy, and she was now going to be proven right. Taking out a chocolate bar, she began to nibble on it.

The sugary sweet melted enjoyably in her mouth as Mikoto focused on her surroundings. The trees and bushes were becoming denser, although there was still plenty of space for them to make their way through easily. It was hard to tell the time here, with the sun mostly covered by the canopy above, but she estimated that it was probably just past midday.

She sighed, rubbing the back of her head with a free hand. Accelerator turned towards her at the sound, his red eyes zoning on the edible treat in her hand.

Mikoto took another bite forcefully, feeling his eyes on her as she chewed and swallowed. She caught herself wondering if she should offer some of her food, but quickly chased the stray thought away. He could bloody take care of himself and find his own if he got desperate. She wouldn't care if he starved. Besides, Accelerator also had a large bag with him, so he probably packed his own snacks.

She decided to nail the claim in stone before he could pull any moves against her supplies.

"I brought plenty of food, but none of it is for you."

"I don't want your fucking food."

"Good. Don't come begging when you get hungry."

He turned away in silence, but Mikoto caught his sulky expression.

Suddenly feeling very cheerful, she gulped down the remainder of the sweet and jumped up eagerly.

"Alright~! Let's get moving again!"

Accelerator grumbled something under his breath, but he picked himself up along with his luggage and began to trudge on once more.

Mikoto followed suit, selecting a happy tune to hum, just to annoy the irritated albino.

XXXXXXX

The electromaster wiped the thin film of sweat off her forehead with a hand, still powering on deeper into the forest. There didn't seem to be anything much living in this dreary place apart from trees, shrubs, and more trees. Since their break, they had continued on for hours, barely exchanging a word. Her previous good mood had long faded since she stopped humming and exhaustion was now at the forefront of her mind, but she forced herself to continue. Behind her, the albino was struggling to keep up.

She stopped to catch a breath, turning around to see a distant white figure stumbling over some stray roots.

"Oh geez," she grumbled.

Mikoto retraced her steps, heading back to where he was making slow progress. Hands on hips, she glared at him in half-annoyance and half-amusement.

"Honestly, this isn't even funny anymore. Did you ever participate in sports events without cheating using your ability?"

"Shut… Up…" the albino growled. He almost tripped over another root that had twisted its way out at an awkward angle from the earth. He breathed out a long line of filthy words.

The electromaster gave a demonic grin, dramatically putting aside her luggage and sitting down in a lazy manner. She leaned forward tauntingly, as if she was enjoying a good show.

"Hn~ You're like a snail, Strongest-san~ I guess I'll have to sit here and wait for you to come. I wonder how long it will take?"

Accelerator gritted his teeth, coming closer to her with every heavy footfall.

"Ah, but can you get here before I run out of patience?" Mikoto continued in a cheery voice. A small part of her instincts told her to stop, but the twisted feeling growing inside her wanted to grab at every opportunity to savour the sweet pleasures of jeering at his weaknesses.

"Even though you're the one who suggested this first, maybe I should be the one _leaving you to rot here_ instead."

His steps became faster, spurred on by the mocking backfire of his own words from last night.

"After all, I don't want to _let you pull me down_ -"

"… … SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

He rushed at her so fast, so unpredictably, Mikoto hardly had any time to react.

A pained gasp pushed out from her lungs as her back slammed violently against the forest floor. The fallen branches bit into her flesh like claws. Her eyes widened as a pair of ghostly hands reached for her unprotected throat, and she immediately tried to throw him off by countering the attack with an assault of her own.

_'As if you could pin me down like this..!'_

Something glinted silver in his hand and Mikoto froze.

It was a knife.

Right on her throat.


	8. Chapter 8

Numbness spread down her entire body, icy claws tightly locking around her muscles and gouging out a basin of dread in her stomach. She could hardly breathe. The cold seeped into her deflated lungs and froze her thoughts to a stop.

But nothing was colder than the curve of the blade that was pressed against her neck.

Enlarged eyes found her assailant. His pale face contrasted ethereally with the dark, hanging shadows of the branches high above. Red eyes that glinted with malicious intent stared down at her condescendingly, burning alight with the rage of hellish flames.

His weight pressed against her stomach, and his shoes dug into her thighs to forcefully pin her legs down onto the muddy earth and debris. Her arms lay sprawled uselessly on either side. One was painfully clenched within her attacker's fist, the other gripped by disabling fear.

In the silence that followed, the thin lips below those monstrous eyes pulled wide open into a hideous grin. A wild laughter resonated from that gaping mouth, outlined by uneven sets of yellowish-white teeth.

"That look suits you, Railgun," Accelerator chortled. "You really are the _Original_ of those _pathetic_ dolls, aren't ya?!"

The derision in his voice broke the freezing spell that bound her. Mikoto thrashed against his weight with gritted teeth. A sharp sting below her chin broke out, and she stilled once more.

Something wet trickled down her neck.

"I wouldn't move if I were you," the grinning mouth told her. "An _accident_ might happen."

Mikoto tried to say something, but only a strangled choking noise came out. Her dry throat was stuck, and her tongue felt clumsily heavy.

The pale face leaned closer to her, completely blocking out anything else. Patchy black bruises and flecks of dried blood that had still not been washed out accentuated his angled features. Somehow, despite the situation, the sight of his dishevelled state gave Mikoto some pride.

As if he knew what she was thinking, his smirk faded, abruptly washed out by a frosty apathy.

"Like what you see, Railgun?"

She stiffened, hardly daring to breathe.

"You did beat me up pretty bad, I admit. And mocking me like that?"

Although his lips remained neutral, a hard gleam flashed in his crimson eyes.

"Nobody has ever even _touched_ me, but you…"

He suddenly leaned back, and his shoes dug further into her numb thighs. The blade at her throat continued to lightly kiss along her neck. Her head pounded as her arteries desperately pulsed against the gentle but deadly threat. The fiery eyes glared at her in distaste.

"Someone as weak as you hurting _God_ … We can't just let that go _unpunished_ , can we?"

Her breath hitched, eyes widening in fear.

Slender white fingers traced beneath the edge of the knife, as light and graceful as a ballerina across her sweaty skin. Their tips collected her life juices slowly oozing from its shallow bite, painting the pale flesh a stark red. They lifted away towards the sky, then offered the boon towards the monster's hungry lips. His mouth swallowed them, and sucked away every drop of her blood.

Acidic bile rose up to her throat as Mikoto watched the grotesque scene. Her stomach churned and twisted. Her heart thudded frantically in her chest. Unable to bear the sickening sight any longer, she squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

_'_ _Goddammit, he really is a crazy creep…'_

"I thought maybe the Original might be better, but you taste exactly like _them_ … Disgusting," she heard him spit out. Her ears thundered at the horrifying implications behind his words. Did he mean…?

Before she could dwell on it any further, she felt him lean in again, his iron-scented breath hot on her cheek.

"Open your eyes, Railgun. You don't want to miss this."

She squeezed her eyes more tightly in response, not wanting to give in to his twisted games.

"I fucking told you to open your eyes!"

Her eyes jerked wide open in pain as the deadly weapon against her neck dug into her skin harder. She felt more blood pulse out of the wound, gradually soaking her shirt with its sticky warmth. Her head began to spin. Desperately, she wondered if the lunatic might actually end up killing her. She needed to buy time somehow, until she could find a way to free herself from this dangerous position. Clenching her jaws, Mikoto forced her voice box to work.

"Where… Where the heck… did you get that knife?!" she managed to choke out.

"While you were busy packing for a picnic, I was busy gathering more… useful things." A victorious glint hardened his mocking gaze, and a free hand slipped into his pack.

"Like this little beauty here…"

His hand pulled out something metallic.

Mikoto's heart almost stopped at the sight, and the icy fear gripped at her body once more.

It was a gun.

Normally, facing against such a weapon wouldn't have worried her too much. As a Level 5 electromaster. Mikoto could sense any incoming bullets with her electroperception and direct them away with her lightning. Right now though, it was a different matter entirely. Without her abilities, she was just a normal human girl who could be killed with a single bullet.

Evidently, Accelerator had realised this as well… much too earlier than she had.

Shoving the dangerous weapon back into its home, Accelerator knocked aside her baseball cap and grabbed a large fistful of her brown locks. Mikoto yelped out as he pulled her head back viciously, further exposing her bleeding neck to the harsh kisses of the unforgiving blade.

"I could kill you right now with that thing, but I don't think that'd be any fun," he snarled. "It was my idea for us to go on this journey together after all, so entertain me _lots_ more, Railgun."

Hot tears welled up in her eyes, although they remained stubbornly unshed. This kind of helplessness was something she had never experienced before, not until she met _him_.

"You're… _sick_ ," she whispered harshly. Her fingers curled into the wet earth, trembling in anger and humiliation.

The only response she received was a guttural snarl mixed with laughter.

Another blade emerged from underneath his dark cloak. The pale hand that had drawn it held the sharp end dangling precariously above her open right eye. Fresh terror seized her and Mikoto stared, transfixed, at the glinting point. She did not even dare to blink. Accelerator wasn't just joking around. One bad move, and she could lose her eye.

The hanging eternity passed, and the knife slowly moved away into the air much to Mikoto's relief. But the feeling was cut short when the blade slowly began to carve a groove into the sensitive skin of her cheek.

"Ghh!"

It burned; the warm blood seeped out like lava along the trail. She tried to turn her head away, but the knife on her cheek dug in deeper as a warning, forcing her to still. Crimson eyes that shone as bright as her flowing blood gleamed with glee at her suffering, and harvested pleasure from her grimaces of pain.

The knife continued its fiery path until it met with the curve of her chin. A shuddering breath released from her lungs as the weapon pulled away.

Mikoto glared up at Accelerator in the haze of pain, jaws clenched and her right cheek on fire. A long tongue protruded from the widely grinning mouth, and licked around the dripping steel to taste her blood once more. This action probably cut him too, but the monster didn't seem to care.

"…Disgusting," he muttered. Joy was alight in his crazed eyes.

"Stop…" Mikoto choked out. "Just stop it!"

Accelerator sucked the last drop dry and stared down at her. His feral grin fast faded away into irritation.

"Shut your mouth and stay still," he growled. "We're only just getting started."

His sinister words urged Mikoto to struggle again. Her arms lifted to push him off at whatever the cost. Before she could even move an inch however, a ruthless force slammed against her left hand, pressing it back roughly onto the ground. Excruciating agony erupted. Her vision blackened momentarily as a sharp scream tore from her throat. Weakly, her eyes squinted downwards and widened at the horrifying sight. The knife had impaled her hand cruelly onto the ground. She tried to move her fingers, but they only twitched weakly in response. A cold numbness grew, even as hot flames rippled up to her shoulder.

Accelerator's free hand slithered down the length of her other arm. The original blade still remained tight against her throat. He dropped forward as his hand reached hers, the pale, bloodied lips eventually lingering against her ear. His warm breath tickled, but she could barely make sense of what was happening anymore.

"You die when I decide, got it?" The husky voice whispered. "You're only living right now because _I_ have decided to let you live."

Something wet explored the insides of her ear. Mikoto shuddered.

"You're _mine_ , Railgun. I'm going to _kill_ you once I get my powers back…" his teeth grazed the edges of her ear before brutally biting into it, _"painfully_."

Through the fog of intense hurt, his dark words echoed with menace. Mikoto held onto the threads of consciousness, and weaved them together to force herself to stay in reality. The thoughts of what Accelerator might do if she lost consciousness motivated her to keep her eyes open. She was not going to succumb to the feelings of degradation and despair. She kindled the blistering flames of anger deep within, and let it grow and grow into a rage.

_'_ _I won't let him win…! I'll get him first-!'_

Something huge suddenly barged into the Level 5 above her, releasing his hold on Mikoto and sending him flying away with a yelp. Its large paws almost trampled her, only narrowly missing crushing her body by a hairbreadth. With the oppressive blade at her neck now gone, Mikoto quickly rolled to her left side where the knife that had skewered her hand still held it pinned to the ground. She only allowed herself a brief pause to tightly clench her jaws before she grabbed the handle and yanked it out in one ferocious movement.

"Ghh!"

The pain and anger stained her vision a bright red. Breathing hard, her agonised pupils zoned on the thing that had almost trampled her as she slowly stood up. It was a monstrous beast standing at almost ten feet, shaped like a fearsome wolf with glowing crimson eyes. White and shaggy, it had an almost semi-transparent look that vaguely reminded Mikoto of something she couldn't be bothered to recall. It snarled as it faced her, baring its sharp fangs in a fierce display of supremacy.

Her right hand curled around the handle of the blade, the weapon of her torture now fitting perfectly into her palm. Her entire body shook as she glared back at the beast just as fiercely, her thoughts uncaring about what had happened to the albino.

_She just wanted to_ _destroy something so badly_.

The giant wolf reared and howled out a screeching note. The terrible, unnatural sound bounced between the trees and stirred up the wind. The girl's shoulder-length hair blew wildly around her enraged face. Her burning eyes solely focused on the monster's actions. As the last note of its screams died away, the beast charged forward in a blur of white.

With a barbaric roar of her own, the electromaster also charged. The knife in her right hand was a deadly gleam as blood trailed behind her from the injured other. Before it could attack her, she leapt, agilely landing atop the wolf's muzzle with the help of the blade brutally piercing into its upper jaw. It screamed out a high-pitched keening sound. It shook its head wildly as Mikoto gripped its white fur with steely fists and held on.

_'_ _I'll kill it before it kills me..! I'll rip it apart before it can even touch me..!'_

Fuelled by intense thoughts of destruction, she pulled herself upwards until she was facing one of the beast's giant eyes. It swivelled towards her and stared unblinkingly. That black pupil outlined by dark crimson was just like… _his_.

With a shriek of fury, she swung the blade deep into the soft appendage. The beast howled out a horrible tune but it was drowned by a hysterical laughter ringing in her ears. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably, showered by a fountain of crimson as the sharp weapon found its mark once more. An ear-splitting scream bounced between the trees as the beast fell onto the ground with a heavy crash. Its large paws flailed as it writhed in agony.

"Die!" Mikoto snarled on top of the tortured creature. "Why don't you just die… _you fucking monster!_ "

The last guttural growl was synced with another ruthless strike. This time, the blade sunk deep into the side of its exposed neck. The beast shuddered and grunted, then released a final wince before lying still. The humongous form began to disappear bit by bit, fading away into wisps and vanishing altogether as if it had never existed.

Mikoto landed on the ground and swayed dangerously on her feet. A wide grin was plastered across her bloodied features. Wild joy lit up her brown eyes, almost giving them a lighter hue. A choked laugh bubbled out from her chest. That had felt fucking fantastic. Who could stand against her now? Wasn't this proof that she was the strongest?

_'_ _As if anyone could control me! As if he could own me!'_

A stick snapped somewhere nearby. A twist of her neck towards the sound found her rival leaning heavily against a tree. He looked bruised and in pain. He stared back at her with a strange expression she could not understand.

_'_ _No matter,'_ she thought idly. _'I'll make him understand…'_

She dragged her feet towards him, the knife handle slippery but firmly gripped in an iron hold. She saw him take a step back with wary eyes, and felt herself grow warm at the sight. The world blurred and began to spin around her, making her feel light-headed. She could only focus on Accelerator, the figure who stood at the centre of the centrifuge that was melting her world into darkness.

"You're… _mine_ ," she hissed.

Then the world blackened and she knew no more.

XXXXXXX

She stood waiting patiently underneath the maple tree – their favourite place to meet. Longing brown eyes gazed at a group of girls far across the park. They were talking and laughing together. With a nod, she told herself that she would later do the same with her dear friend, and they would have lots of fun together too.

Her heart beat faster in excitement at the prospect of seeing her best friend again. They had not seen each other for the entirety of the winter holidays since her friend had left to visit family outside of Academy City. It had been rather quiet without her usual company and she had dearly missed her. The holidays had been busy though, and she really wanted to surprise her friend with the rewards of her hard work.

She couldn't wait to tell her what had happened.

"Mikoto-chan!"

She turned towards the calling voice, and a joyful smile bloomed when she saw the familiar figure running towards her.

"Akira-chan!"

Mikoto rushed to hug her friend when she noticed something furry in her arms. She slowed to a stop, peering at the white bundle in curiosity.

"Eh? A kitten?!"

"Yep~!" Akira cuddled the small animal tenderly. "My parents bought him for me when I visited home!"

"Ehh? You're going to keep a pet?" Mikoto grew wide-eyed in awe.

"Since we're going to be in middle school soon, they said I was now responsible enough," Akira explained proudly. "I named him Haru and I'm going to take great care of him!"

"Whoah… He's so cute…" Mikoto breathed. Reluctantly tearing her shining eyes away from the softly mewling creature, she glanced at Akira questioningly. "Was this the surprise you were talking about?"

"Yep~!" Akira grinned. The long curls of her black hair bounced as she nodded.

"That's so awesome! Can I… Can I pet him?"

"Of course you can, silly!" Akira held out the small animal in offering. "Here, you can hold him too. He's really friendly."

Trembling with anticipation, Mikoto reached out to take the adorable kitten from her friend. Haku squirmed and then suddenly hissed. His green eyes thinning into angry slits. Mikoto paused, and her hands hung hesitantly in the air.

"Huh? Haru, what's wrong?" Akira questioned the animal as she struggled to hold him still. "This is Mikoto – she's my best friend, you know! Be nice!"

Determination setting into her frown, Mikoto stepped closer. She wanted to prove that she could be responsible and hold the kitten safely in her arms too. Her fingers almost touched the creature's head when Haru yowled and raked his sharp claws against her skin. Mikoto faltered back. She stared in surprise at the angry welts that began to flourish across her hand.

"Oh no! Are you ok?!"

Akira raised the kitten to her eye level, and flashed the cat a disappointed look. "That was very naughty, Haru. You shouldn't hurt a friend like that. Apologise to Miko-chan."

The kitten only innocently flickered its tail and perked up his ears in response.

"Ah, it's okay Akira-chan…" Mikoto gave her friend a small smile. "It's only a little scratch."

"I'm really sorry!"

"Really, it's fine!"

"It's so weird though… I wonder why Haru got all agitated like that?'

Mikoto fell silent, and looked down glumly at her shoes. She knew it was because of her growing esper ability, an unfortunate side effect that repelled sensitive animals. The constant electromagnetic field surrounding her body appeared to be increasing in strength with each passing day. When she had asked, the scientists had told her it really couldn't be helped.

Seeing her friend's unhappy expression, Akira quickly intervened.

"You said you also had a surprise for me, right?"

At this, Mikoto immediately brightened.

"Yeah! While you were away, my powers grew a lot more! I can do heaps more things with my ability now!"

This time, it was Akira's turn to swoon. "Ohhh, that's great, Miko-chan!"

"I'm a Level 4 now," the girl boasted proudly. She flexed up an arm, a hand curling into a symbol of strength. "They said I might even reach Level 5 soon if I continued to work hard!"

"Really?"

"Yep! And I'm definitely going to make it happen!"

"Wow…" Akira sighed. Her yearning blue eyes gazed away into the distance. "I wish I had a cool ability like yours, Mikoto."

Mikoto laughed, patting her friend reassuringly on the shoulder. "Don't worry! I'll reach Level 5 quickly and that will be enough power for both of us! Anything would be possible for us then!"

"…You think so? But…" Akira's voice was laced with uncertainty, "You're going to be famous when you become a Level 5, right?"

Mikoto tilted her head at the curious question. "Well… maybe, but I don't really care about that. It shouldn't change anything, Akira-chan. I'll still be your friend no matter what!" She energetically punched the air to emphasise her vow.

"You mean it?"

"Of course I mean it!"

Akira smiled and Mikoto beamed back. A rush of cold winter wind blew around them, carrying the words of their promise drifting towards the grey sky.

"I know!" Mikoto exclaimed, jumping up and down. "I'll show you something new that I can do now!"

"What is it?"

"Just watch!"

Mikoto adjusted the magnetic field, smirking as it responded to her will alone with immediate and absolute attention. She felt every single particle of iron sand in the ground, sizzling and sparking with electricity. They flew from the earth and whizzed around in the air, denying the natural flow of the wind as each fleck of dust energetically vibrated with her power. The black swarm rose up high like a tornado, and reached towards the sky.

She grinned as her power physically manifested before her very eyes and she proceeded to let everything she had loose. Lightning crackled gleefully in her ears; it was a sound she had grown to love over time as she learned more about its properties. The blue sparks that she summoned from her fingertips were like beautiful fireworks, constantly changing shapes as they streaked towards the ground. But the rush of adrenaline as she released this torrent of power was the best feeling of all. With this, she could do anything. She wanted to show Akira-chan just how strong she was, and that she had enough power for the both of them. Her friend had nothing to worry about, even if she was Level 0.

"-koto-chan!"

She vaguely heard someone call out her name, but the sound was drowned out by the roar of the spinning iron sand and thundering electricity. There was still more that she could give to this, more that she could show her friend. Akira-chan would be so impressed…

"Stop! Mikoto-chan! STOP IT!"

The sheer terror in her friend's voice finally broke through the cacophony of her power, sending an icy dagger of fear through Mikoto's chest. In shock, she reigned in the electrical energy, her heart thrumming in her throat as the blue tendrils of lightning faded away. The black particles stopped spinning, and the lifeless bits of matter twirled and dissolved with the rush of wintry wind.

As the twisting black cocoon she had wrapped herself in disappeared completely, Akira's trembling form became revealed, curled up on the earth before her. Her best friend was sobbing as she hugged herself. She was clearly distressed.

"Akira-chan?! What's wrong?!"

Mikoto rushed towards her, wondering if her friend was feeling sick. Was she coming down with a sudden illness?

Mikoto squatted down beside her and laid a soothing hand on her friend's back. Akira flinched away visibly. Her large eyes were full of fear as she looked up at the electromaster with trembling lips. Mikoto pulled away her hand, feeling a little hurt at the obvious display of rejection. But her concern for her friend outweighed anything else.

"Akira-chan?"

"Just… stop…" Akira mumbled softly. Her harsh breathing was strained and she had tearstains on her cheeks. Mikoto leaned in closer, trying to hear what her friend was saying.

"Just stop, Mikoto… Don't do that…"

Mikoto's eyes grew wide. What did Akira mean?

Her friend suddenly looked up. Her sharp azure eyes glared at Mikoto fiercely.

"It's scary! It's really really scary when you do that, so don't…!"

Mikoto's mouth went dry and words stuck in her throat. She didn't really understand. What had been so scary? She hadn't meant to frighten anyone; she only wanted to show off a little to her best friend. Did Akira not realise she'd had everything under control? A sudden anxiety lurched in her stomach, and she wondered if she had perhaps accidentally miscalculated and caused physical pain in the process.

"Did I… Did you get hurt?!"

Akira sniffed. "No… No, I didn't get hurt but…" She suddenly sat up, looking around frantically.

"Oh no, where is Haru?!"

Mikoto also jerked up and turned her head to scan the area. Further along the street, she saw the flicker of a white tail turning the corner down an alleyway. She quickly jumped to her feet.

"There!" Mikoto pointed. "He went that way!"

She immediately leapt into a sprint with Akira closely following behind. Her previous feelings of anxiety became washed out by a new determination. Her friend hadn't liked her surprise after all, although Mikoto still couldn't quite understand why. It had been a completely harmless show, and it hadn't hurt anyone. She was a little disappointed by her best friend's reaction, but more than that, she hated seeing Akira upset.

_'I'll make it up to her. I'll bring Haru back no matter what!'_

She wanted to see Akira-chan smile again.

Gritting her teeth, Mikoto drove her legs faster and turned the corner sharply into the alleyway that the kitten had disappeared into. In the distance, she saw the tiny bundle of white fur dash away and swerve right at another junction. Electricity burst around her legs. Her powers quickened her strides with an instantaneous flare of extra speed. She swiftly rounded the next corner when a huge dog suddenly darted out with a snarl from the shadows, and snapped its jaws madly at the yowling baby kitten. It tackled the smaller animal to a wall.

"Oh no, you don't!"

With a snarl of her own, Mikoto unleashed her lightning. The blue whips of crackling electricity struck the canine head-on without mercy. The animal screamed out a keen note and fell onto its side with a shudder, its smoking brown fur crisply singed. Mikoto skidded to a stop next to the burnt body. A victorious smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.

"Gotcha!"

"Haru!"

Akira also rounded the corner, her breathing strained as she came running up to the scene. She looked at the twitching dog with frightened eyes, then tore her gaze away to find another, smaller bundle lying next to it.

"HARU!" she screamed. She ran up to the dust-covered white animal and crouched beside it. The little kitten was still and silent. Its pristine, snowy white fur was marred by black singe marks, charred where tendrils of lightning had swept it.

With shaking hands, Akira reached out to gently touch the cat.

It didn't move.

"Akira-chan…?" Mikoto spoke out hesitantly. "It… It should be okay… I stopped the dog…"

She trailed off when Akira made no sign of having heard her. She watched quietly as her friend leaned in closer to Haru, and pressed her ear gingerly against his little body.

Neither Akira nor Haru moved.

Mikoto stepped in closer. The increasing uncertainty blocked her airways in the growing silence.

"Akira… chan..?"

"He's not breathing…" Akira suddenly whispered. Her voice grew more frantic. "He's not breathing…!"

Mikoto froze, staring at Akira in disbelief. "What…?"

Akira slowly stood back up, her eyes widening in horror. She stared at the limp body of the kitten lying on the concrete ground, its eyes closed, its sprawled limbs and chest unmoving. Mikoto came up next to her. Her legs felt oddly stiff as her uneven heartbeat resounded loudly in her thrumming ears.

"No… that can't be right…"

Akira turned to face her, her eyes huge. "He's not breathing…"

Words clumped in Mikoto's throat, making her feel nauseous all of a sudden.

"That… That can't be right…" Mikoto protested. Her voice grew louder with conviction. "That can't be right! I aimed for the dog…! It was only meant to knock the dog out- !"

A sharp slap rang out and echoed between the walls of the alleyway.

Mikoto's eyes widened in shock, her cheek burning harshly as she suddenly found herself facing to the left. She reached up with a shaky hand and covered the insulted cheek, feeling it throb and sting painfully beneath her palm. She slowly turned her head back to face Akira; her expression flickered between confusion and hurt.

Mikoto realised had never seen her best friend look so angry before. And the worst thing was, it was all directed at her.

"You freak!" Akira yelled. Tears ran freely down her cheeks. "You… You killed Haru!"

"No…" Mikoto whispered, still clutching her smarting cheek. "No… I didn't kill him!"

"Look at him!" Akira bellowed. "Just look at him and say you didn't kill him!"

Mikoto looked down at the kitten's body, frost filling her chest. There was no denying it anymore, the truth was right there before her eyes. Her jaws clenched. Her teeth ground together as her lips trembled.

"Akira… I… I'm-"

"Get away from me, you freak!"

She forcefully pushed Mikoto on her shoulders, making the electromaster stumble backwards and almost fall over. In a daze, Mikoto focused her vision on the person she had considered her best friend for the last three years. Akira had stuck by her through thick and thin since third grade. On one fateful day, Mikoto had generously helped her with some particularly difficult schoolwork, and had earned the other girl's admiration and support in return. Even though they were enrolling into different middle schools soon, they had promised each other numerous times that they would be best buddies forever.

"Do you know what some of the other girls at school are saying about you these days?" Akira asked harshly. Mikoto's ears rang. The sound of her friend's voice distorted into something foreign.

When Mikoto gave no answer, Akira gritted her teeth in fury, her hands balling into fists. "You act like you don't know or care, but I know you do! Being a Level 4 and all, surely you can't be that stupid!"

Mikoto's mouth opened, but no sound came out. Her chest felt strangely empty while her head pulsed erratically. It was as if her palpitating heart had somehow migrated upwards.

"I argued with them for your sake!" Akira pointed at her accusingly. "I told them countless times you weren't like what they thought!"

She glared at Mikoto with piercing blue eyes.

"But maybe they are right! Maybe I was the blind and stupid one for not seeing you the way you really are!"

Angry words tumbled out in a rush, a torrent of negative feelings that had been stored up inside for too long finally being released. They hit Mikoto like a raging tempest.

"Do you know how hard it is for me to hang around with you now?! They think I'm a freak as well! You're so obsessed about levelling up your precious power, that's all you care about these days!"

At this, a spark of indignation flared in Mikoto.

"That's not true!" Mikoto yelled back in defence. "I care about you! I only want to grow stronger so I can help the people I care about… like you!"

Akira stared at her for a long moment, looking slightly taken aback at the raw honesty in Mikoto's voice. They were both breathing hard, their shoulders heaving with the wild turmoil of emotions. Silence hung in the air, thick and almost palpable. So many things remained unspoken, unable to be expressed in words.

"But you hurt Haru..." Akira voice was almost a whisper as Mikoto flinched, "and you nearly hurt me earlier too…"

Akira bent down, scooping up Haru's burnt body into her arms.

"Haru was right from the start about you as well… Misaka-san."

The detached manner in which her friend suddenly addressed her was like the final nail on a coffin being driven in. Mikoto balked, and her hand lifted hesitantly as Akira turned to leave.

"Akira-chan, wait-!"

"I don't want you around me anymore," Akira said without turning around. Her voice was calmer, although her shoulders were still visibly shaking. "Just leave me alone."

She turned and vanished into the distance. A solitary Mikoto was left, with nothing but a throbbing hand and an aching heart.

XXXXXXX

Mikoto stood behind a tree, surreptitiously glancing out at a group of girls. They were talking nearby the flower gardens and enjoying their lunch break. Among them was Kawano Akira, who was laughing as she peered over a book on another girl's lap. Mikoto's heart twisted. They hadn't spoken a word to each other since that incident two weeks ago, but she was determined to set things right again. While she thought it wasn't fair how Akira had accused her, she knew she had made a huge mistake, and she wanted to apologise properly.

With a deep breath, Mikoto squared her shoulders and stepped out of the shadows. She approached the group with purposeful strides. Some of the girls noticed as she drew near, and they whispered something amongst themselves and erupted into audible giggles.

_'Just ignore them,'_ Akira had told Mikoto in the past, and she now held onto that advice with gritted teeth.

One of the girls called Iwasaki Katsumi suddenly stood up and approached her defensively.

"What do you want?" Her tone was irrefutably rude. Mikoto's eyes narrowed. It was no secret that Katsumi had a nasty attitude towards her. Since last year, she had hurtled the electromaster with jibes and dirty looks at every opportunity. Mikoto clenched her fists, and tried to steady her breathing.

_'Just ignore them.'_

"I want to talk to Akira-chan."

"Well, she doesn't want to talk to you," Katsumi said with a haughty air. "She's finally realised what a freak you are, so leave her alone and go do whatever electrical freaks like you do in their spare time."

Mikoto's jaws grinded together. "Don't call me that."

"But that's what you are," Katsumi ploughed on spitefully. "Causing trouble for Akira and hurting her like that… I mean, did you really even consider her your friend? I always thought there was something crooked about you, like you act all nice and friendly to everyone on the outside, but that's just it, isn't it? It's all an act, right?"

"Shut up!" Mikoto's fists shook, and she stomped a foot in anger. Electricity arced from her body and sizzled in the air like firecrackers. Cracked bits of concrete flew from the ground, and Katsumi took a step back in fright. "Stop saying random stuff like that! What would you know?!"

Katsumi looked at her warily as she continued. "Maybe I don't, but I'm not stupid. The other girls might be too scared of you to say anything, but I'm not going to back down because I can see right through your sham. Showing off and being the teacher's pet in class with your fancy esper powers or whatever… It's just so freakish the way you rushed through levels from 1 to 4 like that. Like, are you even human?"

Something snapped inside her. The world darkened for a moment as lightning rushed out of her with a scream. A pained shriek pierced her eardrums, soon accompanied by shouts and cries of fright. Mikoto opened her eyes, gritted teeth bared behind trembling lips as she took in what was happening.

Katsumi was on the ground, crying loudly in pain as she curled into herself. Small bursts of electricity zapped around her body, preventing anyone else from coming too close. Other girls were surrounding them, and they looked on in horror as Katsumi convulsed.

"Someone get a teacher! The lightning freak attacked Katsumi!" One of them screeched. The others joined in on the clamour, and the words spread along the playground and grew like a chorus.

Mikoto's head pounded. Her shoulders shuddered as her lungs gasped for air. Her vision swam and blurred around the injured girl's limp figure as people proceeded to take her away on a stretcher. She stared at the shattered ground beneath her feet, her mind strangely blank. People hurried by her still form, but nobody dared to come close.

She didn't know how long she stood there, but she sensed someone finally approach. Mikoto looked up blearily, refocusing on a familiar face.

"Mikoto-chan." The voice was not unkind. It was her homeroom teacher, Yoshida-sensei. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and Mikoto flinched, but she did not pull away. "Can you stay back after class today?"

It was an open invitation, but Mikoto knew better than to refuse. She simply nodded, eyes averting from the kind smile.

"Alright, let's talk then."

With that, she was alone again.

Mikoto moved her wooden legs and walked away mindlessly from the scene. The crowd parted for her, avoiding the electromaster as if she were a plague. Mikoto found she didn't care. It was kind of amusing, really. If she had known one small display was all it took for the bullies to leave her alone, she would have done that a long time ago.

The edge of her lips twitched into a lopsided smirk.

"So now you're going around hurting my friends as well?!"

Mikoto turned towards the new voice, and her grin quickly vanished at the sight of Akira. Her classmate glared at her, those blue eyes cold with stony anger. Her feelings of amusement suddenly departed, replaced by the painful clenching of her heart.

"Akira-chan… I'm really sorry."

"That doesn't change anything."

At the frosty response, the turbulent emotions welled once more. "It was an accident! I only meant to stop the dog because it was about to maul Haru! I didn't mean to… to hurt him! I swear!"

Akira's eyes narrowed. "This isn't just about what happened that day. It's about us." She took a deep breath. "Especially after what happened here… we really can't be friends anymore. You've chosen your path; I've chosen mine."

Mikoto's jaws locked together. "What about the promise we made?!" she ground out. "Did that mean nothing to you?!"

Akira's expression softened slightly. "I'm sorry too, Misaka-san… I guess I'm to blame for this as well… You're enrolling in Tokiwadai, right?"

Mikoto only nodded. The words she wanted to yell out became tangled and lost on her tongue.

"Well, I hope you can find someone willing to be friends with you there."

Unable to find an adequate response, Mikoto did not reply. With a slight nod of her head, Akira turned around and left with a final farewell. "Good luck, Misaka-san."

Mikoto stood there for a long time. It was only when the school bell rang to indicate that lunch time was over that she finally pulled herself out of the daze. She moved to class, ignoring the whispers and stares around her. She was glad they were leaving her alone, too afraid to come close lest they suffered the same fate as Katsumi. Her chest hurt and her head felt heavy, but there were hot flames billowing deep inside. They churned her thoughts and strengthened her will.

_'I don't care… I don't care what anyone says! Who needs friends anyway?!'_

She was Misaka Mikoto; as long as she held onto her own beliefs, it didn't matter what anyone thought of her or her powers. She would continue on as she had, working hard and clearing any and all hurdles that dared to get in her way.

That was the last time she ever spoke on friendly terms to Kawano Akira. Mikoto never saw her again after enrolling into Tokiwadai just a couple of months later.

In the next month that followed, she was titled a Level 5.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading this work-in-progress so far and thank you for any kudos! Please feel free to share your thoughts in comments!


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